Double Helix
by deleria
Summary: Manga inspired; dark fic. Knives wants to push the evolution of his species forward and Meryl is the key. She is carrying the future of the Plants within her womb. Knives x Meryl - in a twisted sort of way
1. prologue :: a beginning is a very delica...

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE READING THIS FIC**

**AN:** This was inspired by my other Trigun fic, The Pawn.

I wrote this based heavily upon the manga universe, though I borrow from both the anime and manga. That said, if you know anything about the manga, you know that the characters and events in the manga are significantly different than that of the anime. Do yourself a favor and _don't_ read this fic with your "anime-glasses" on. It won't make any sense otherwise.

If I had to pin a time frame on this baby, I'd probably say that this fic is set to occur somewhere around volume 5 and 6 of the Japanese release of Trigun Maximum. This fic is also an AU in that I launch into my own universe with most of the events leading up to volume 5 having already occurred.

Aside from the Trigun/Trigun Maximum mangas, this fic was also inspired by Rosemary's Baby. If you hated the way that movie ended, you'll probably dislike the way this fic ends. Get the hint? Not everything in life has the cliché "_and they lived happily ever after_" ending. I have other fics with that type of ending, so if you're looking for that, you might want to consider reading something else. I would suggest reading 'Two Plants and a Girl' written by my dear friend, Thunk. She's a great writer and her fics are far more happy and romantic than mine.

Soooo... consider yourself warned. ;)

Also, it should be noted that I wrote and posted this fic long before Thunk wrote her Knives/Meryl fic. I know people have accused her of ripping me off and I've gotten the same type of accusations from fans of her fic. The simple truth is that she and I are good friends and I was her beta for 'Two Plants and a Girl.' Unfortunately, at the time that I wrote this fic, I didn't have Thunk to beta my work - and this fic suffers as a result of that. However, I have been actively rewriting this fic so it isn't quite so rough around the edges.

Thanks for reading!

July 10, 2010

• • •

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Trigun; I do not own Meryl, Vash, Knives, Legato or any other character from the Trigun universe. Yasuhiro Nightow and Young King Ours own the copyright to Trigun and all the various characters therein. If you want to give money to someone for these wonderful characters, give money to them.

* * *

**Double Helix**

prologue  
~ a beginning is a very delicate thing ~

* * *

"She's not accepting it, Master."

Knives pressed his lips together to form a tight, grim line as he stared into the plant core. A flash of sorrow and rage reflected in his eyes before he gave a tired sigh. "I know."

Legato paused for a moment, sensing his master's anger and frustration beginning to mount. This was very delicate ground to be treading upon and he knew instinctively that it must be navigated carefully. The last thing he wanted was to upset Knives. His only desire was to do as He willed.

"Conrad is above," the cripple said. "He wishes to speak with you."

Legato felt a tide of frustration and rage roll in as the last of his master's patience was steadily ebbing away. Not wishing to further evoke Knives' frustration and ire, the blue-haired servant continued, "Master, it will please you to know that he thinks he may have found a solution..."

The free-born plant paused, his eyebrow raising curiously. A sigh of relief almost escaped Legato's lips when he felt the tide of anger begin to recede ever so slightly.

"A solution?" Knives asked. The question hung in the air, demanding no reply. "Let's hear what the maggot has to say then."

Turning on his heel, Knives left the room with the pallbearer quietly pushing Legato behind him.

As they made their way through the maze of corridors and stairways, Legato let his mind churn over the possible reasons why his master had been so particularly agitated as of late. The free-born plant had been seething since he first learned of the hair-darkening effect. Impatiently seething.

Now it seemed that the seedling was dying. Knives' greatest desire was slowly fading away. It wouldn't be long before there was nothing left to hope for. No future, no legacy. Only the cold finality of revenge.

• • •

Legato was making him wait on purpose. It was his petty way of reminding Conrad of his position in the food chain.

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Dr. Conrad exhaled impatiently and felt the weight of his age press down upon him. Technology was a wonderful thing for keeping him alive for so long, but there were days when he felt as ancient and worn as the sand and dust itself. Stubbornly, he pushed away his growing tiredness and tried to ignore the painful arthritis in his left knee.

The doctor knew better than to show weakness or let his guard down in such a place. Doing so could be his demise. Knives was not one to show mercy or patience, but he did have a strange and somewhat bizarre attachment to the past. As long as Conrad was useful to Knives, he would be protected - regardless of the fact that he was a living, breathing reminder of the times when the plant didn't hate humanity quite so much.

Even so, there was no doubt in the old doctor's mind that Knives would welcome a reason — _any_ reason — just justify his extermination.

Dipping his chin to his chest and closing his eyes, Conrad waited and tried not to remember Knives as he had once been. Then the distinct sound of footsteps approaching echoed from the hall. Straightening himself, Conrad smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt and carefully schooled his expression to appear as neutral as possible when Knives made his appearance.

Conrad offered a nod of acknowledgment as he greeted the plant, "Hello, Knives."

• • •

He felt Conrad's disgust churn within the old man's belly like spoiled milk. Knives knew the sight of Legato disturbed him, so he did his best to always make sure that the cripple was present for these types of meetings. Regardless of his discomfort, the old human remained calm and outwardly detached.

Knives caught the doctor's attention with a wide smirk. Trapping him within his steady gaze, the doctor knew the plant could see through his mask of indifference, but still Knives said nothing. Silence tended to unnerve humans and he was more than happy to use the vacuum of noise to his advantage. The sarcastic twist of his lips only grew more satisfied as Knives watched tiny beads of sweat glisten on the doctor's brow.

The plant relished in the discomfort Conrad felt. It was the very least the old bastard deserved. Conrad had been pleased when he saw Knives' hair begin to darken and did little to hide the emotion from the plant's probing mind. It was enraging, but Knives suspected there was far more that the doctor knew about Plant biology than he professed and that made him an important part of the equation. He would simply have to wait. The time would come when Conrad would no longer be needed and Knives looked forward to the feel of dismembering him.

"You have news for me?" Knives asked sardonically, his clear voice cutting the silence to shreds.

"Ah, yes," Conrad squared his shoulders. "I do."

Knives moved to stand closer to the doctor, all the while probing his mind searching for deceit and finding only disgust and annoyance directed towards his maimed servant. The free-born plant almost laughed aloud and the absurdity of it but decided to humor the old man instead. The time for games had passed.

"Legato. Leave us."

The servant nodded in reply. Without a sound, the living corpse and his pallbearer retreated from the room. Once the two were alone, Knives offered the doctor a sarcastic smile. "He makes you nervous and I do not?"

"No, that's not it," Conrad said carefully. "He's just... very unnatural. I can't explain it."

The smirk quickly developed into a laugh of genuine amusement at the doctor's ironic admission. It was true, Legato was indeed an unnatural being, yet a useful one. All of the humans Knives surrounded himself with were somewhat unnatural. A few of them were not human at all. That was the very reason Knives chose to surround himself with them. All the better that some of them were considered to be _'disturbing.'_

As the amusement drained away, Knives locked eyes with the aging doctor and made his simple demand.

"Tell me."

The doctor took a deep breath and began. His voice shook with nervousness at the beginning, but as he told Knives what he had discovered he became increasingly bold in his statements. Knives only occasionally interrupted him to ask questions or to clarify a finding, but not once did he lose his temper or threaten to lash out against the doctor for what he was suggesting. Conrad was quite surprised at the calmness of Knives' reaction, realizing all at once how desperate the free-born plant was to set his plans into motion. When it was all finally said and the details thoroughly explained, Knives only stood there in front of the old human, his mind working over the nuances of what he had just been told.

"I don't like it," the free-born plant said finally.

"I didn't think you would, but I thought the information could be useful."

Knives only nodded as he clenched his fists at his sides, clearly aggravated. The more he thought about it, the more his anger mounted. This was _not_ the solution that Knives had hoped for. It was preposterous. Surely, the old man thought of something better than to use one of _them_.

"That is your suggestion then?" Knives glared at the doctor, "Your _only_ suggestion?"

Conrad bit back a grimace at the tone of malice in Knives' words, "It is the only one that I think has a real chance for success." He paused, watching the plant grow increasingly tense. "I will need some biological samples from the Red Dune Laboratories first just to verify that my initial hypothesis regarding the Ryoushi bloodline. Then I will need current biological samples for further verification. If I am correct, then I think we should try for immediate implantation."

"How can you be so certain your hypothesis is correct?" Knives asked, not bothering to hide the doubt in his voice.

"I— well, I can't." Conrad admitted, "However, the circumstantial evidence indicates that significant chromosomal mutation must have occurred. It's certainly worth investigating. I think in this case, we should assume that _some_ level of mutation has occurred. It's not without precedence. If that's the case, then we may be able to use the mutation to our advantage."

"My advantage, or yours?"

A slight smile tugged at the doctor's lips and he shrugged his shoulders. "Both. Yours more so than mine, of course."

"Of course." Knives sneered, turning his back on the doctor. The temptation to kill him was far too great if he _looked_ at the human. Turning away from him was all Knives could do to keep from skewering the old man.

The blood lust had peaked as the free-born plant listened to Conrad's monstrous suggestion and now that urge was a tangible ache. Certainly, the old man realized that what he was proposing was not only morally degrading, but also abhorrently slanderous. Did he honestly believe that any of them would relish the idea of entrusting their survival to the flawed biology of a Homo sapien? Even one with a mutated, and arguably "improved," genetic structure?

Yet, the old man was perfectly serious and had sound reason to back up his preposterous theory. Knives couldn't argue with the human's logic and that, in and of itself, was infuriating.

"Your proposition is disgusting," Knives said finally as he opened his mind to his family. When the cacophony of angel voices became too much he silenced them in both thought and whisper, "This seems to be the only option available to us now."

The doctor remained silent as he waited for Knives to arrive at a decision. Seconds flowed into minutes as the room became thick with anticipation. Feeling ensnared by the tension, the doctor found himself suddenly speaking when he knew he should not.

"If I'm right, then her direct descendants are not completely human anymore, so..."

Knives turned his head and glared at him sharply, causing the doctor to trail off into silence.

"Not _completely_ human? You think that makes a difference to _me?_ This is an abomination!" Knives yelled just before turning his back to the doctor again. Willing himself to keep his rage in check, the free-born plant began to tremble, the flesh on his hands and arms throbbing painfully. His fists continued to clench and unclench beside him anxiously; small dagger-like knives began to bud along his arms.

This was not how he wanted the future to begin — and yet at every attempt to set his plan into motion he had failed. Failure was not acceptable and the alternative just suggested to him made his blood boil. There really was no other choice. If he did not do as the doctor suggested the seedling would most definitely die before it had a chance to live.

It _had_ to live. It had to. It was the future.

If this was the only viable option to ensure the survival of the seedling, then Knives had no choice.

The doctor saw the tension drain out of Knives' back and the small buds shrink back into his flesh and knew that he would soon know what Knives' desire was. His breath caught in his throat as he waited.

Knives slowly turned around and faced the doctor fully, his eyes glowing dangerously in the darkness of the room. "Be ready. We're going to do as you suggest."


	2. chapter one :: plans within plans

**AN:** This chapter borrows heavily from my one-shot fic, 'The Pawn.' However it should be noted that the chapter below is NOT a direct copy of my original one-shot. There are differences. The one-shot inspired this fic, then I tweaked it to fit within this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Trigun; I do not own Meryl, Vash, Knives, Legato or any other character from the Trigun universe. Yasuhiro Nightow and Young King Ours own the copyright to Trigun and all the various characters therein. If you want to give money to someone for these wonderful characters, give money to them.

* * *

**Double Helix**

chapter one  
~ plans within plans ~

* * *

He smiled cruelly as he read and reread the report obsessively, staring at the perfectly typed letters and the neatly spaced words of Ms. Meryl Stryfe's latest report. The starkness of black on white was mesmerizing as hope blossomed in his heart once more. Nothing felt quite as satisfying as a plan solidifying into reality.

The concept of using a Homo-sapien to fulfill the needs of his people felt more like righteous vengeance with each passing day. Once the anger and disgust drained away, Knives was able to rationalize the proposition with greater efficiency. He still didn't like Conrad's suggestion, but the ends would justify the means and that was all that really mattered.

As the days bled into weeks, Knives' opinion began to change. Where once he saw the women in Vash's company as a hindrance, he know saw them as a blessing. It was as though fate itself was aiding him in his plans. Still, the women brought too much baggage with them. Baggage that could jeopardize his plans if not properly dealt with. Knives could not allow himself to forget that. Vash was the greatest obstacle to his goals and could not be taken lightly, either. Knives was confident that his younger brother would most certainly try to stop him, but in order to do that he would have to come home.

That, in itself, could be the best gift of all if Knives properly prepared for it. Perhaps Vash could be made to understand... perhaps he would even _help_...

Knives' eyes crinkled as his smile grew. Their reunion was long overdue and much work still needed to be done. It was far too soon to feel confident just yet. Time was working against him. The situation still required a level of delicacy that could only be handled by him. He couldn't trust anyone else to carry out his plans without his direct supervision.

Raising the report closer to his face, he inhaled its scent deeply. He could have sworn that he could detect the human female's delicate fragrance there, but he knew logically that such a thing was impossible. Even for him. Still he focused on that imaginary scent as he let his mind churn with thoughts of genocide and liberation. Everything was coming together, with any luck his plans would be in motion within the next few months.

Eden was finally at hand.

"S-Sir, would you like me to send... someone else?"

His thoughts interrupted, Knives glared at the offending human angrily. The old man was intelligent enough to back up a few steps, fall to his knees and apologize profusely for having spoken without first being spoken to. Panic radiated from the old Bernardelli's mind and Knives was certain the old man would die from fright.

_Weak and pathetic humans, so easily broken and manipulated._

Knives felt the anger slowly drain out of his being leaving only satisfaction in its wake. He desperately wanted to kill the man, to run him through with his knives and feel his blood gush... but now was not the appropriate time.

"No," he replied sharply, his voice clear and strong. A shadow of a smile playing about his lips, "I have other plans."

A quick motion of his hand, and the cowering human found himself relieved to simply be dismissed from Knives' presence. He crawled soundlessly and awkwardly out of the room leaving the master to ponder once more the disgusting, self-serving nature of Homo-sapiens.

From the darkness behind him, Knives felt the stirrings of a slightly confused and questioning mind gently whisper across his awareness, a fluttering. It was no surprise. He turned his face slightly toward the questioning and spoke. "It is time for us to move forward with the seedling. I need you to collect some data for me."

"Master?"

Knives ignored Legato as he stared distractedly into the timeless world seeking insight. With this new knowledge about the women in Vash's company additional plans would have to be formulated while some old ones become adjusted.

"The women with Vash have some interesting potential." Knives murmured distractedly, his eyes still focused on the flutter of movement behind the glass. "Especially Ms. Stryfe." Turning his attention back to the stark contrast of the pages still held within his grasp, Knives smiled. The dimensions of the pages multiplied before his eyes as he stared into its depths.

"Master?" Legato asked, confusion evident in his tone. "How can I serve you?"

"I need you and Hornfreak to visit the Red Dune Labs. I want you to destroy the facility, but before you do I need you to locate Rem Saverem's file and biological samples for me."

Legato immediately bristled at the mention of the woman who once served as foster mother to Knives. His mind already screamed the question that his voice was barely able to whisper, _"Why_ Saverem, Master..?"

Knives gave him a sharp look. "Do not question me."

Yellow-eyes disappeared behind lowered lids as Legato bowed his head in submission.

"Have Bernardelli sent in," Knives said, turning his attention back to the angel floating behind the wall of glass. He pressed his hand against the glass, fingers splayed wide. The angel within responded in kind and a warm glow surrounded them both, gently bathing Legato in the golden light. "I have a small job for him to perform one last time."

• • •

Eyes sparkled with delight behind a veil of blue-black hair. They crinkled, taking on an almost friendly quality as Legato's grin deepened. His Master was so wise, so glorious, so perfect.

The lab technicians lay bleeding and disemboweled at the foot of his coffin, their freshly mangled corpses oozing a plethora of rancid fluids. It was a beautiful and wholesomely satisfying sight. He studied each corpse with intent, memorizing every detail, every smell, and every strangled gurgle.

The cacophony of the Hornfreak's saxophone echoed down the once sterile corridors to ring happily in his ears. Instead of the sweet sound of bodies being torn apart, Legato could only detect the high-pitched sound of glass shattering and the distinct rumble of concrete breaking apart and disintegrating.

The first stage was nearing completion.

_Take me to the west wing, _Legato ordered.

The pallbearer moved soundlessly as it pushed Legato's coffin out of the room, leaving the scent of intestines and bodily fluids behind them. Thoughts of ice cream and chocolate filled Legato's mind and his stomach growled immediately in response. Dessert sounded delicious to him right now.

Florescent light flickered impatiently, creating a strobe effect throughout the corridors. The occasional moan, desperate plea or animal-like whimper entertained the devout plant-worshiper as he swiftly moved through the building. Legato smiled joyfully at every tear-filled eyed that peered in his direction before causing an artery in their brain to explode or suddenly crushing their lungs. It would be wasteful to let these things live; there was no point in leaving the task only half done.

Omniscience suddenly flooded Legato's mind,_ Stop, _his eyes darted about the room excitedly, matching each physical detail with the psychically obtained map stored within his mind. _This is the place. Go through the next door to the left._

The coffin moved accordingly and soon Legato found himself in a very cramped, closet-like room. Filing cabinets as tall as a man stood side by side from one end of the room to the other, eight in all. Each one coated with a varied layer of dust giving a subtle hint to the frequency of visits, and each one clearly labeled. _Open cabinet five, the drawer labeled S-Sh. Locate file folder Saverem' and read it to me._

A gnarled hand reached out and carefully pulled the drawer open. It fingered painstakingly through the files for several minutes before pausing and turning its head slightly toward its master.

Legato quickly supplied the answer. _Saverem, Rem. Middle initial, K'_

The pallbearer began its search once more, pausing once only to confirm that it had indeed found the correct file. The appropriate file removed and the drawer shut, the pallbearer turned to face its master fully before opening the file and reading the contents.

_Saverem, Rem Katherine. _

_Project Seeds, Special Ops, Science/Biological Division. Junior Level Plant Bioengineer._

_Identification Number: 410-293-9233-5_

_Security Level: 5_

_Born: Osaka, Japan_

Legato rolled his eyes impatiently. He already knew all the basic information about that Jezebel. It was inconsequential. _Look for something about cloning or ovum harvesting. Seek out any information about her contribution to the embryo banks._

Pages turned quietly as the requested information was carefully sought after.

Vanilla ice cream would be wonderful for dessert. Or perhaps sherbet? No, ice cream and sherbet were far too messy for his likes these days. Cheesecake?

A soft rustling of paper caught Legato's attention and he peered anxiously at his pallbearer. _Quickly summarize it for me, please. I'm hungry._

_Sixteen ova removed for In Vitro Fertilization. Fifteen successfully fertilized._

It paused and raised its head slightly in question. _Do you wish to know the names of the sperm donors?_

_Not at this time. The file will be coming with us along with her biological samples. Continue._

It lowered its head and continued reading. _Fifteen successfully fertilized and twelve successfully frozen into cryostasis during Project Seeds' migration from the Earth. Five were removed from cryostasis for implantation into surrogates after planet fall. All five embryos brought to term._

Legato let his tongue slide over his lips. Master had been correct. Jezebel did have children polluting His planet. At least five little abominations were running around. Or five _adult_ abominations...

_When were these embryos implanted? _the cripple asked.

The pallbearer quickly skimmed the file. _The first two were implanted in the 65th year after the Great Fall. The last three were implanted in the 105th, 128th and 135th year after the Great Fall._

_Does it list the names of the surrogate mothers?_

_Davis and Ryoushi in the 65th year, _the pallbearer read, _Mouko in 105th year. Tanaka in the 128th year and Moloch in the 135th year._

_Moloch?_

It simply repeated the individual names, _Davis. Ryoushi. Mouko. Tanaka. Moloch._

In an instant, the pallbearer was on its knees, an unseen force constricting its air supply and bending its flesh. _Moloch! That is not possible! Tell me her given name! What is her given name?_

_Kesla._ The pallbearer continued to crumble calmly under Legato's psychic assault. Neither panic nor fear radiated from its being. It simply twisted and bent unnaturally in pure submission to his rage.

Legato seethed, his breath hissing out between clenched teeth. _That's not possible._

A broken, child-like whine escaped from Legato's graceful mouth as tears stung at his eyes. He blinked them back stubbornly, felt his body twitch unintentionally within the binds of his coffin, and feared a seizure coming on. A loud snap filled the room as one of the pallbearer's bones finally gave way. _That's NOT possible!_

A second snap; a third. Blood slowly spread out across the floor, already blackened with death.

_NO! THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE!_

• • •

_'If I survive, a new pallbearer will have to be created for me,'_ Legato mussed into the darkness.

He was not afraid. The numbness had engulfed him. It was the same type of numbness he learned to embrace when he was a child. It was an oasis in the cacophony, a buffer. When the noise became too much for his young mind, he would will the numbness to encircle him. It wasn't until he was personally called into Knives' service was he experienced true freedom from the constant psychic drone of millions of human minds.

The numbness surrounding him now was like a familiar friend. He felt a bittersweet gratefulness for its presence. It dulled the pain and made hazy his thoughts, but still he could not escape the sound of his own blood thrumming through his veins. The blood linking him to _her._

He never hated himself more. If Knives killed him, it would be most merciful.

To think, he was even more tainted than _her._ She had the benefit of three generations of dilution. Legato had no such comfort.

Even so, the yellow-eyed servant was glad to witness Knives' plan beginning to come together. The fact that Stryfe was a descendant of Saverem and friend of Vash meant she was his weakness. She would do as the Master wished and break the rogue Angel easily, even if she was wholly unaware and unwilling.

The Master's wisdom and foresight was unfathomable. Legato wondered if Knives had been following the bloodlines infected by Rem all along. If that were the case, then he would probably already know about the Moloch bloodline. Perhaps Legato's genetic relationship to Rem Saverem wasn't an offense to Knives after all. Perhaps Legato was still useful.

The soft sounds of footsteps coming toward the room interrupted his wishful thinking. Legato straightened up as best he could and waited for his entrance.

Hearing the movement stop just beyond the door, Legato bowed his head deeply and closed his eyes. His act of reverence and the loving tone of his voice carried his message of absolute loyalty to his Master, "My Lord." Another set of footsteps stopped just behind Knives. Legato open his eyes and did little to hide his animosity from his voice. "Eleandra."

"I have heard some interesting things." The Master's even voice resonated from behind him as the plant began to circle Legato's coffin. The cripple craved to see Him, to look upon His beauty, to study His expression, but Knives was unwilling to grant him that blessing. "Tell me what you found."

Legato closed his eyes again and willed his voice to be strong. "The Hornfreak destroyed all of the embryo and ovum cryostasis storage containers at the Red Dune Labs. I went in search of the files you requested."

"You found them."

It was a statement, Legato knew. The Master was already aware of what they had found. He was being tested, he was certain.

"Yes. We recovered Saverem's files and brought back samples of her DNA." Footsteps once again echoed in the room as Knives walked to his desk. "Four of her embryos are still unaccounted for, but we have solid leads as to where they are being stored. We also recovered all the files on the known donors and the surrogates."

Knives sifted through the photographs on his desk. "I see." He glanced casually at Legato, "I also saw that Moloch was listed as a known surrogate." Cocking his head to the side, Knives smiled knowingly. "Isn't that your mother's maiden name?"

A reflexive swallow and a tremor rippled through Legato's body. "Y-yes."

"Isn't that an interesting coincidence? Wouldn't you say?"

The hairs on the back of Legato's neck stood on end and he felt dizzy. "I— I never... my mother never said she volunteer." He paused, his eyes wide, "I am a Bluesummers!"

The corner of Knives' mouth quirked upward at Legato's discomfort and obvious shame for a delicate second as he poked carelessly at the pile of photographs. The expression disappeared quickly into a stony mask once he found what he needed and deftly pulled two pictures from the pile.

"I have learned that life is full of many unexpected surprises." The free-born plant tapped the edge of the pictures against the desk and smiled broadly at Legato. "I have heard many rumors and stories over the years. I called for you _because_ of some of those rumors, but this was an unexpected surprise."

Legato watched with rapt interest as his Master began to circle him, an introspective look upon his features. A trickle of sweat found its way from Legato's forehead to his cheek causing him to wish he had use of his hands. Knives footfalls fell heavily upon the floor as he slowly approached his cripple, completing his circular path. As he stood directly in front of Legato, he held up one of the photographs for him to see. "This is your biological mother, Legato. And this," he held up the second photograph, "is your cousin... more or less."

Knives smiled and turned the photographs around so he could look at them himself. "My dear brother would be surprised to learn about your family history... and hers." He studied Legato's face for a moment. "You do not seem to be very pleased."

Disbelieving yellow eyes searched His sacred face. '_Not pleased?'_

"I do not wish to be related to that... that beast!"

Knives tsked and walked back to the desk in the corner of the room, depositing the photographs in their proper place. "That's no way to speak about your family. It can't be helped."

Legato clenched his jaw angrily, loathing the thrumming sound of his blood pounding through his veins. _Her_ blood.

"I hate her!"

Knives smiled faintly as he began circling around Legato's casket once more, letting the silence of the room seep into the human.

"Do you know why I sent you and Midvalley to the Red Dune Labs?"

Legato paused as he considered his Master's question, suddenly feeling very uncertain. His mind felt like it was slowly being crushed under a great weight and thinking clearly was becoming increasingly difficult. He forced himself to quickly go over the events of the day, matching them up against the orders he had received days before.

He accomplished what he was sent out to do... _didn't he?_

"We were sent to destroy the embryo and ovum storage facilities and all related documentation," Legato said, brows furled, "We were to leave no survivors..."

"You killed your pallbearer before you had a chance to read the entire file for yourself," Knives interjected.

"Y— yes..."

"Do you know why I seek out Dr. Conrad's insight and experience into Plant biology and DNA?" Knives asked, "Do you know why I had him perform those tests on Vash all those years ago?"

"To discover your full potential," Legato said simply.

"Correct, but it was more than that. I had to understand why Tessla, Vash and I were the only ones able to exist beyond the glass. Why are there not more like us? Conrad doesn't know. No one really does. We are an anomaly."

"You have ascended into the divine," Legato quickly supplied.

The free-born plant smiled, amused. "Homo-sapiens created the first Plant; you know that."

"God created Man." Legato whispered to himself, letting his eyes close as he quoted the passage reverently. "Man angered God because he wanted to be like Him and God turned away from Man, leaving us in misery and sin. So Man, instead of repenting and atoning for their sins and seeking divine forgiveness from the Most High, set about to create their own servants to worship _them_. God blessed their creation to spite and curse Man and They ascended into the divine..."

"You believe that crap?" Eleandra interrupted, not bothering to hide his impatience and disgust.

"Blasphemer!" Legato roared, causing his coffin to pitch slightly forward in his rage. "You have no right to serve the Master!"

Eleandra sneered and took a few quick steps toward the living corpse, death reflecting in his eyes.

"Quiet!" Knives' angry glare stopped the transvestite in his tracks before turning his attention to Legato. "Who gave you permission to speak? Was I finished?"

A bowed head and a broken voice, "P— please forgive me, Lord."

Knives glared at the humans. The two of them together always brought forth frustration for him, but their destructive talents were a necessary component to his little army.

"The text of your faith is correct though," the plant observed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Man _did_ create us to be their servants, to be their tools. We were to be a highly complicated battery with a humanoid body and sealed within a glass bubble because _they_ purposely made us incapable of surviving beyond that bubble."

Knives sneered, "In essence, we became their self-made slaves. However, they never expected our kind to rise above their intentions. They never expected us to evolve from what they first wanted us to be. We were not supposed to think and reason, to _feel._ They never even considered the idea that we would become sentient."

"Therefore," Knives continued, "Tessla, Vash and I are the first free-born plants. The _only_ free-born plants. There should be more like us, but the maggots interfered. Their experiments and oppression have retarded the natural process. They have effectively sterilized over half of my kind."

Legato opened his mouth to speak, but Knives cut him off, "Of course, they never expected that our energies would in turn _mutate_ them."

Silence filled the room as both humans absorbed Knives' words. The free-born plant waited, watching their expressions.

"Humans with close contact to Plants become mutated?" Legato asked.

"To an extent," Knives clarified, "Though many of the mutations are not seen until offspring are produced."

The wheels were turning in Legato's mind. "Saverem... _her_ offspring...?"

Knives grinned, a sadistic gleam shining in his eyes. "You were sent to the labs to obtain Rem Saverem's medical information and samples of her DNA. Dr. Conrad is currently testing that DNA. If Conrad's hypothesis is correct, the great-granddaughter of Rem could be of great use. She may be able to help my kind return to the true path of our evolutionary process."

* * *

**AN:** In case you are wondering about the significance of some of the names, here is a quick explanation:

Ryoushi: Japanese for hunter, huntsman _cough_ huntress? ^_~

Mouko: Japanese for fierce tiger

Moloch: A lizard OR in the Bible, the god of the Canaanites and Phoenicians to whom children were sacrificed

Sure, I picked the names because of their meanings, but not every name is significant to this particular story. I just liked the sound of some of the names...


	3. chapter two :: Araneae crossroads

**Double Helix**

chapter two  
~ Araneae crossroads ~

* * *

Her index finger was inserted into one ear with the phone pressed tightly against the other in the vain attempt to block out as much background noise as possible. The cacophony of sound emanating from the bar was making it near impossible to hear anything her boss was trying to tell her. She felt her cheeks redden in frustrated anger and embarrassment, she was certain her superior was getting tired of having to repeat himself to her.

He wasn't just her superior; he was the owner _and_ founder of the Bernardelli Insurance Society, James Bernardelli _the third_, himself.

"Where— you?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bernardelli," Meryl spoke loudly into the phone, "can you repeat yourself?"

"Where ARE you?" Mr. Bernardelli asked, clearly annoyed.

Meryl winced, "We're in Juun City. We just arrived today."

"I see."

"I'm sorry about all the noise, sir," the insurance agent said apologetically, "but this was the only working phone I could find."

"That's— Stryfe. Can you— a san—er there?"

Meryl scowled as she tried to make out his words. "Pardon me?"

"—you board a sand-ste-?"

Meryl's scowl deepened. "Did you say 'sand-steamer?'"

"Yes!" Mr. Bernardelli replied sharply.

Meryl hesitated, trying to figure out where her boss was going with such questions. "I... I believe so."

"I want— to take the next steamer out— Tob— City—-" Mr. Bernardelli's garbled voice said, "Thompson— remain with the… in Juun until— replacement—. Under—and?"

Meryl brows furled together. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear everything you said. Did you say that you want us to go to Tober City?"

"Just you."

"Pardon me?" she asked, doubting her ears.

"I sa… you!"

Doubt still lingered in her mind. Surely he wasn't just sending _her_ on an assignment alone. That was against company policy. "You want _me_ to go to Tober City?"

"YES!" Meryl grimaced at the sudden increase in volume in her superior's voice. '_He must be yelling into the phone now_,' she thought guiltily.

"What about... Vash?"

"Thompson is to stay with the subject until a replacement is sent to assist her!" Mr. Bernardelli yelled in her ear.

Meryl paused and bit her lower lip. '_Why am I being sent there? They never separate a team out in the field...'_

"Stryfe?" Mr. Bernardelli demanded.

"Oh... yes... Tober City." Meryl paused, "Sir? I don't understand... why are you reassigning me?"

"Now isn't the time to discus this," Mr. Bernardelli announced forcefully. "Take the steamer to Tober City as soon as you can. Tomorrow, if possible!"

Meryl hesitated on the line unsure of what to do or how to protest.

"Stryfe?"

"Mr. Bernardelli, I... Y– yes... I'll take the next steamer out to Tober City," Meryl said, a noticeable twinge of defeat echoing in her voice.

"Good! Mr. Kevin Millio will meet you there."

Kevin Millo? Her immediate supervisor? '_What is going on?'_

"I'll contact you later," Mr. Bernardelli said just before hanging up.

"Bye," Meryl murmured into a dead line. She stared at the wall in a daze while still holding the phone to her ear trying to figure out what she had done wrong during this assignment to deserve this. Her mind swam with confusion and second-guessing.

Why Tober City? And why go without Milly?

As far as Meryl knew, there wasn't anything in Tober City anymore. Biting her lip, Meryl tried to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why The Society would need to send her there so suddenly. Every scenario that came to mind fell apart under the scrutiny of logic, fueling the most irrational thought of all:

_'They're not going to fire me... are they?' _Meryl wondered, eyes cloudy. _'If they're going to fire me, they're sure going about it in a weird way...'_

"Are you done yet?" A gruff voice asked from behind, causing Meryl to jump. She spun around to come face-to-face with one of the locals who was eying her impatiently. Cheeks reddening, she stammered an apology to the stranger for taking so long on the phone. The man simply nodded as he pulled the phone from her hand and began to feed coins into the slot.

Meryl turned away with a sigh as she rubbed her temples and attempted to calm her nerves. How was she going to explain this to everyone else? What would Vash say? Would he even care? Meryl's lips twitched downward as she started to make her way toward the table occupied by her companions.

Fingers pinched the bridge of her nose as Meryl felt the beginnings of one hell of a headache starting. She did her best to ignore the pain as she slid between groups of people, maneuvering her way through the crowd as quickly as possible. Spotting the back of Vash's spiky, blond head, Meryl altered her course accordingly to intercept him.

When she reached the table, all of her traveling companions already had a nearly empty stein of beer sitting in front of them. Each wore wide grins on their faces as they listened to Vash talk animatedly. Meryl moved to stand next to Milly's chair and waited until Vash was finished before telling them that she would be retiring early. Too many people surrounded her and the air felt oppressive with smoke and sound. She needed to go somewhere quiet to think. She needed to figure out what was going on with her job.

When Meryl refused Milly's gesture to sit, the taller woman interrupted Vash anyway. "Sempai, don't you want to sit?" she asked a little too loudly, her words just slightly slurred.

"I can't, Milly," Meryl said, a ghost of a smile lifting her lips.

Milly blinked. "Why not?"

"I have things to do."

"What things? Did Mr. Bernardelli give you homework?" Milly giggled at her own comment, then she took a long swallow of beer.

Meryl sighed. The girl was buzzed already.

"Yes... sort of," she replied, "He has some additional work for me to do." Meryl ended the explanation there, not wanting to explain everything to her while she was tipsy and before she had a chance to think about everything herself.

"Oh," Milly's face fell. "Well, you can still have a drink with us, can't you, Sempai? It's good!"

Wolfwood and Vash both smiled at her in agreement with Milly, the alcohol they consumed already dulling their senses.

Meryl smiled politely and shook her head no.

"You're not going to bed now, are you?" Vash asked with that childish whiny-tone he liked to use when he wanted something. "It's too early and we just got here! Sit down with us."

Meryl's smile slipped a bit. "I can't. I really need to get some work done for Mr. Bernardelli and I have a headache besides."

Wolfwood peered at Meryl for a long moment, seemingly assessing her health. "A beer will clear that right up, you know."

Milly eyes sparkled with the knowledge of an oracle and she nodded wholeheartedly at Wolfwood's comment. "Yes, that's true."

"That has not been my experience." Meryl responded dryly.

Wolfwood shrugged as he took another drink, his eyes still studying her over the top of his beer mug. "Why is it I'm not surprised to hear that?" he muttered between swallows.

Meryl ignored Wolfwood's comment as she peered at Milly intently, considering if it would be wise to leave her to watch over Vash on her own. Those three could get into trouble without even trying...

The petite insurance agent sighed as she mentally slapped herself for her forgetfulness. It didn't really matter anymore. It wasn't her job now.

"I... really need to go back to the room and do some work, Milly," Meryl said, "I'll see you guys later."

Milly looked at her quizzically through suspicion-filled eyes muddled with alcohol. Her lips parted for a moment, as if she was about to ask something and Meryl held her breath, expecting the worst. Milly was unpredictable. She possessed an uncanny ability to see into people. Without any effort at all, she could lay her finger on the very thing a person wanted to camouflage most. If Milly asked her out-right if something was wrong, Meryl didn't think she could lie to her. Her emotions were already stretched to the limit.

"You sure?" Milly asked, watching her carefully, "'Cause if you need any help..."

Meryl offered a slight smile. "No, no. That's alright. It's nothing important."

Milly tilted her head as she watched her. Then, with an overly wide grin, Milly nodded at her Sempai. The wave of relief that passed though Meryl when she saw the simple gesture was palatable.

"Okay!" the younger woman smiled cheerfully, "Have a good night then!"

With a brief wave and an obligatory smile, Meryl disappeared into a crowd of people.

• • •

The sand-steamer was scheduled to leave at 3:15 in the afternoon. It would take her to the city of November where she would have to purchase a thomas and then ride the rest of the way to Tober City. With the steamer not scheduled to leave until the afternoon, Meryl had enough time to explain things to a sober Milly and Vash, and to say her good-byes. Who knew how long it would be before she saw Milly again, and she probably wouldn't see Vash ever again... or Wolfwood, for that matter.

Meryl stared at the ticket in her hands and wondered again why she was being sent to Tober City. There was _nothing_ there. No water, no plant... nothing.

Laying back on her bed, Meryl pulled the covers up around her. Shadows danced on the ceiling for her as she pondered her immediate future. Just when she started to feel comfortable in her position and confident in her work, the rug got pulled out from under her.

Meryl sighed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Such doom and gloom was unlike her and she hated herself for entertaining it. It was just an assignment, nothing more. She would meet her supervisor tomorrow and learn what her new assignment would be. And she would do that job to the best of her ability. Hopefully, when the new assignment was over, she would be paired with Milly again and their assignment to supervise Vash the Stampede would continue. Meryl was good at her job and had developed a reputation for being the go-to person in high risk assignments. She always wanted to prove her worth and she had. Getting upset about being recognized for that by her superiors was pretty foolish.

'_Mr. Bernardelli will reassign me to Vash,_' Meryl told herself, trying to reassure herself. '_Milly can't do this job alone and no one else in The Society is willing to do it._'

It wasn't a big deal. She would meet with Mr. Millio tomorrow and probably finish this new assignment in a week. Maybe two. Then she'd be sent back to Vash. And if they didn't send her back, she could make an official request to be reassigned with Milly. She had seniority and Mr. Millio seemed like a reasonable man. She's never met him before, but he was always very cordial and fair when she corresponded with him. Certainly he would agree that she and Milly made a good team.

In spite of her attempts to reassure herself, one nagging doubt kept whispering in the back of her mind, _'...but they never separate a team out in the field during an assignment... what will Vash say when he finds out?'_

Meryl squeezed her eyes shut as her chest tightened.

Vash.

No one frustrated her more than that man. As annoying as he could be at times, he could also make her feel joy all the way down to the tips of her toes. She didn't want to be apart from him, but she couldn't afford to lose her job. She couldn't be like Vash and just live like a nomad all the time. It was important to her to have some stability in her life. She only felt truly comfortable when she had something to wrap herself around. As a teenager, she poured her energy into her studies. As an adult, she focused on her work.

More than anything, she wanted to pour her time and energy into being with and supporting Vash. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, she loved the idiot. There had been times when she wanted to tell him, show him, but he always kept her at a painful distance. He never called her by her given name. Worse, he would ditch them if an opportunity to do so presented itself.

She knew she was foolish to take any of it personally. After all, he was the subject and she was the agent. Falling in love with him was stupid and she knew better. Besides, having such an emotion attachment was reason enough to get her reassigned. Or fired. She knew that, but as much as she tried to resist the pull, she couldn't. Vash was overwhelming in everything he did and all Meryl could do anymore was to suppress her feelings as much as possible and hide her heartache. Unrequited love truly was the worst kind.

Still, she held on to her hope.

_'If he asks me not to go, I won't go.' _

Meryl laughed bitterly at her own thoughts as her logical mind jeered her aching heart into silence. A familiar rush of disappointment washed over her as the sound of her laughter echoed harshly in her ears.

_'I am such a fool.'_


	4. chapter three :: exodus

**Double Helix**

chapter three  
~ exodus ~

* * *

There was something odd about Sempai.

She never talked much in the mornings, but she definitely seemed unusually distant and melancholy today. If she hadn't known better, Milly would have suspected that Meryl and Vash had had a fight, but that was impossible. Vash had been with Wolfwood and herself all evening.

Bright blue eyes pinned Meryl under a critical gaze. Something else had to be troubling her friend. Milly thought she had seen something wrong last night. The way in which Meryl spoke to them and reluctance to talk about her phone call had set off a feeling of unease in Milly's gut, but as the alcohol began to take hold, she decided to take Meryl at her word. It _had_ been a long day of travel and Meryl did tend to get headaches after a long journey. It wasn't unusual for her to be distant and grumpy at times like that.

So Milly had smiled wide and gulped down more beer. She realized now, with a distinct sense of foreboding, that her decision the night before had been a mistake.

"Is something wrong?" Milly asked quietly as Meryl took a sip of her coffee. The restaurant they were sitting in was starting to fill up as the early lunchtime crowd began to file in.

Meryl sighed and stared into her coffee cup. "I'll tell you when Vash joins us."

Milly blinked in confusion and immediately began to feel increasingly concerned. The warning bells within her started to ring loudly in her ears. "What did Mr. Bernardelli say last night?"

Meryl's eyes rose to look at Milly for a moment before averting them to look out the window.

'_She looks like she's about to cry...' _Milly thought, disturbed.

"Sempai? Sempai, what's wrong? Please tell me what happened."

"I'm being reassigned," she said, voice heavy with a sense of defeat.

Milly sat in silent shock as Meryl's words washed over her. She didn't _want_ to be reassigned. She was happy in her work, for the first time since joining The Society. They were _both_ happy in their work.

'_Wait,' _Milly thought worriedly,_ 'Sempai didn't say _'we.'

Leaning forward, Milly opened her mouth to question her superior when their server to walked by their table, immediately killing the words in her throat. The young waitress refilled Meryl's cup of coffee as she asked if they were ready to order. Both women shook their heads no in response, neither of them too interested in food at the moment.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," the waitress promised before turning her attention to the couple sitting across from them.

"What are _we_ being reassigned to?" Milly asked the moment the waitress stepped away.

A sad smile filled Meryl's face and she looked at Milly square in the eye. "You are not being reassigned, Milly. I am."

She blinked in sudden bewilderment. "I... I don't understand. That's silly! Sempai, they never—"

Milly was cut off as Wolfwood slid into the seat next to her. "Good morning cutie," Wolfwood said to Milly with a playful wink that usually won him a blush and a grin, but not today. Already suspecting what was going on between the two women, Wolfwood played along. "Morning, Meryl."

"Oi! I hope they serve donuts here," Vash smiled happily as plopped down next to Meryl and opened the menu in front of him. The petite insurance girl didn't offer any form of protest at his presence, nor complain when he took the menu from her side of the table as his own. Her silence was unusual and he gave a sideways glance at the woman beside him, "Are you feeling better today?"

Meryl nodded silently as she took another drink of her coffee as Milly continued to stare at her superior in open confusion.

"Hmm... What's going on?" Vash asked innocently as he looked from one insurance girl to the other and back again.

Meryl continued to nurse her cup of coffee, not ready to speak the truth aloud. She was thankful when Milly offered up the information for her, giving her a few extra moments to steel herself.

"Sempai has been... reassigned..?" Milly said uncertainly, her voice reflecting her confusion.

"Really?" Vash's eyebrows shot up.

"That's what she said." Milly murmured as she looked to Meryl for more answers.

"Since when?" Wolfwood asked, sparking the crescendo of questions and comments from the three.

"What's this all about?"

"I like this assignment. Mr. Vash and Mr. Priest are so nice to work with."

"Are you girls finally going home? About time that company of yours did the right thing."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"Who in their right mind would send two women off to follow around the most wanted outlaw on the planet? I'd never buy an insurance policy from such a messed up company."

"We're _very_ qualified for this job!" Milly protested. "We were hand-picked and they trained us for this assignment. Hey, we have great insurance policies! Even financial investments!"

"Right."

"We do! The best!"

"Milly, you're—"

"I guess this means that I'm no longer considered a liability!"

"Fools."

"You're not a liability, Mr. Vash! You just attract a lot of trouble and destruction and misunderstandings and strange—"

"That's an understatement."

"Gee, thanks."

Meryl set her coffee mug down and cleared her throat loudly, putting a halt to flurry of speculation. She paused a moment more and hoped her voice wouldn't betray her.

"Thank you for your concern," she said, "but I am the only one being reassigned. Mr. Bernardelli wants _me_ to go to Tober City. Today. He didn't tell me why or for how long, but Milly is to stay here with you, Vash, until a replacement has been sent to assist her."

Vash raised a single brow, "So, I'm still under twenty-four hour surveillance?"

"Of course you are." Meryl said dryly.

Vash paused for a moment, an introspective look crossing his features.

The server approached the table and smiled warmly at the group as she asked if they were ready. Each told the waitress their order with polite smiles before settling into an uneasy silence that lasted long after the young woman left their table.

"Okay," Vash said softly, almost timidly, "why are _you_ being reassigned and sent to a place like Tober City? There is nothing there anymore. I've been there, I know."

"I know there's nothing there," she said, frustration leaking into her voice. She wanted him to tell her not to go, but she knew there was no reason for him to ask her to stay. That realization alone was enough to make her want to strike out at him or cry bitter tears of self-pity... or both. Meryl worked hard to always do the responsible thing, but this was the first time in her life she wanted someone to stop her from doing her duty. She wanted him to give her a reason to stay.

"I don't know why I'm being sent there. I don't understand it myself." Meryl continued, "I just know that I'm to go there immediately and meet with our supervisor."

"Mr. Millio?" Milly piped in.

"Yes," Meryl nodded, "I bought my ticket last night. My sand-steamer to November leaves town this afternoon. After that, I head to Tober and meet with him. That's all I know right now."

The introspective look returned and Vash could only mutter a quiet, "Ah" in response. Meryl tried to bury her disappointment in her coffee cup.

"I don't think you should go alone, Sempai," Milly said, eyes serious.

Meryl tried to smile reassuringly at her partner, "I'll be fine Milly. For all I know it could be a very short assignment and once it is done I will be sent back here. They've sent me on weird, short assignments like this without much explanation beforehand, remember? Urgency and anonymity are sometimes necessary for help with the federal cases. I'm sure it's nothing." The words trailed off into a dead silence and she realized at once how hallow her own words rang in her ears. She wasn't convincing anyone of anything, least of all herself.

"What exactly did your boss say to you?" Wolfwood asked.

The petite insurance agent sighed, clearly annoyed that she had to keep repeating herself.

"He just said that I am to go to Tober City," Meryl said, "He told me that Milly was to remain with Vash and wait in Juun for a replacement to be sent. I assume that means Milly has a new partner, at least temporarily. I tried to ask him if I was being permanently reassigned and what was going on, but all he said was, _'Now is not the time to talk about this.'_ That is all I know."

Vash leveled his gaze on Meryl, "Don't you think that's a little odd?" he asked, voice usually serious.

Her patience quickly drying up, she snapped, "They don't always explain every assignment to us in _perfect detail_, Vash. What's odd is the fact that they are sending me out to help with a new case in the middle of this one, but what I am supposed to do? Not go and risk losing my job? This is all I have!"

She regretted her words the second they left her mouth and her sheepish expression revealed as much, but it was too late to backpedal. She had spoken the truth, though not the truth she wanted to express and not the truth she wanted Vash to believe.

An unsettling silence surrounded the table only to be broken by the server delivering their morning breakfast. Forks were picked up with barely a sound and a normally energetic group of people sat in cold silence, each privately considering the recent news.

"Sempai," Milly's strained voice whispered, "I don't think this is a good idea. You don't have to go..."

"I can't lose my job, Milly," Meryl said. "What would I do? If I quit my job I'd still have to leave. I'd have to go back to Augusta. Besides, Vash didn't invite us to travel with him. What would you have me do?"

The younger agent peered down at her hands, fighting back tears. "Se- sempai..."

"It's not a big deal," the older agent continued, voice filled with a forced confidence that she hoped would prevent Milly from making this harder than it already was. "There's nothing in Tober. I'm sure they just want my help with some high-risk federal cast or something. I don't know. I'm sure it's nothing too major, otherwise they would send us both and a new team would be here already to baby-sit Vash."

Milly nodded submissively and looked down into her lap, fighting for composure.

"Milly, we both know Vash can't go anywhere without causing some sort of trouble for the company! No one else wants this job," Meryl smiled weakly at her partner, her attempt to lighten the mood failing miserably. "They'll send me back, you know they will."

"But... we're a _team!"_ Milly protested.

"I know, Milly."

"You can't go to Tober alone! Something's wrong! They never separate a team out in the field!"

Meryl felt her heart sink. As much as she wanted to argue Milly's point, the girl was right. The whole situation reeked of strangeness, but the petite agent didn't have a valid reason to disobey a direct order from her boss. If she resigned, there was no way that she would be able to afford the nomadic lifestyle that Vash lived. How would they eat? How would they live? What would they do if something went wrong? If one of them got hurt? How would they pay for medical treatment? They flirted with danger and disaster every moment they spend with the infamous 'Vash the Stampede.' As an agent of the Bernardelli Insurance Society, Milly and Meryl enjoyed full medical coverage. Not to mention a travel and food allowance. Without all that it would be impossible to follow Vash around. Hell, Meryl _still_ wasn't certain how Vash afforded to live the lifestyle that he did — how was she supposed to take care of both herself and Milly if they didn't have a steady source of income?

With a tired sigh, she chanced a glance at Vash hoping to see... something. _Anything_. Concern, interest, worry, reassurance — instead he sat quietly, eating his eggs and looking off to the far side of the restaurant. Meryl felt another pang of disappointment, but quickly reminded herself that what she said earlier was true. Vash hadn't invited them to travel with him, they were following him. And most of the time he tried to figure out new ways to ditch them._  
_

"Help me pack after breakfast, Milly," Meryl said with forced smile, "We'll talk about this some more then. Don't let this get you down. Everything will be just fine, I know it."


	5. chapter four :: salutations

**Double Helix**

chapter four  
~ salutations ~

* * *

She was late.

Not because she was expected to arrive at a specific time, but because he was getting tired of waiting.

He knew that she boarded the only steamer available and that she wasted no time purchasing a thomas upon arriving in November. She was on her way and she was traveling alone, just as she had been instructed. That was typical of her and he expected nothing less. The human was unusually dependable.

As predicted, his brother and friends had tried to accompany her without her knowledge. Knives had anticipated this and made certain that they would not be able to travel together on the same ship. When they were unsuccessful with trying to purchase tickets for the sand-steamer, they tried to board the ship illegally.

Was his twin really so tedious?

In any case, Knives provided the three would be stole-a-ways with some entertainment. Enough entertainment to distract them from their original goal. He was certain Vash knew it was a diversion, but it didn't matter so long as Knives got the outcome he wanted. Meryl boarded the sand-steamer and it left on schedule. That was all that mattered.

It would be another three days before the next sand-steamer arrived in Juun. That is, _if_ it ran on schedule. Even if Vash and his friends followed after Meryl by bus, they would still be behind her by at least two days. That was plenty of time for Knives to meet Meryl uninterrupted and leave his brother with just enough evidence to throw him off track.

If there was one thing Knives had learned over the years when it came to manipulating humans was that even the smallest seed of doubt or fear could grow into a jungle if given just the right form of encouragement.

Knives smirked to himself. He knew his brother was attached to the little human, yet for all his sentimentality he still did not try to stop her from going. He had the power and ability to do so, but did not.

Pathetic.

Still, Vash's sense of sentiment would force him to seek out the missing human and Chapel would help him. It wouldn't be long before the twins would be reunited again. It was a moment long in coming and Knives couldn't help but to look forward to the meeting, though he expected it would be a volatile one.

Knives let the granules of sand sift through his fingers as he stared out at the golden-brown landscape, watching the occasional dust devil swirl about off in the distance. The landscape was as bored as he was and such occasion usually lead to destructive tendencies. Of course, having to listen to Legato's mind wander for entertainment would cause destructive tendencies in anyone, plant or otherwise. Legato could be so tiresome before too long.

Rising from his crouched position and briefly dusting himself off, Knives decided to take a walk, again. Meryl was expected at any time and it wasn't like he was going to miss her arrival. There was no place to go for iles and certainly nowhere to hide. Knives was not about to let his last best chance escape through fleeing, hiding or death.

She _would_ carry out his plans. There was no alternative.

Knives slowly wound his way through the skeletal remains of the long-dead city. Empty, gutted and burnt-out buildings surrounded him on all sides. Some of them leaning precariously to one side, barely surviving the passing of the most recent sandstorm.

As he worked his way deeper into the heart of the burnt-out city, he realized with slight solace where he was heading. His flesh had led him back unconsciously. Not that he should be particularly surprised, he had spent a lot of time here.

In this very place was the point of origin, the place where their new future had begun.

He stood at the center, staring down at his feet and felt the familiar sense of awe wash over him. He was standing on the spot where the plant core had once been. He could just barely feel the fading residue of energy from the long-dead and ancient plant. The scent of her death still clung to the earth.

Squatting down, Knives picked up a handful of blackened dirt and rubbed it between his fingers, letting it slowly slide out of his hand and float in the wind. He felt his rage spark within his belly and surge forward as he mentally cursed the maggots once again. He would never forgive them for consuming his family in order to guarantee their own survival.

_'That will soon be a thing of the past. For all of us.' _

This sister whom the humans had tried to forcibly milk of every last drop of her life energy had chosen a different path, the first of her kind to do so. The first planet-bound plant _brave_ enough to do so. She chose to use that precious energy that the humans crave so much and use it in order to reproduce, and in the process, she chose her own death.

It was an event that caused every plant on the planet to pause in silence; some paused in fear while others paused in awe. All of them recognized the potential at once, though each one saw a different embodiment of that potential.

Some welcomed it while others did not.

Yet, in the end, he was the one who was told about the exact location of the seedling. The ones who agreed with his beliefs also trusted him to care for it, to educate it, to bring it about to its full potential and lead it down the path of its destiny... and he would.

• • •

She hated sand. She _hated_ it.

She hated having it in her nose and in her mouth. She hated the way it felt when it got built up in her hair and under her nails. She hated it when the sand got into her shoes and down her shirt, sticking to her sweaty skin.

She just hated it.

Meryl leaned over to one side of the saddle and spat, trying to rid her mouth of the grit. It was a pointless attempt on her part and she knew it but there was little else she could do to relieve her discomfort save from taking a bath. Traveling for any long distance by thomas always left her feeling miserable and dirty. Not to mention moody. It had been a long time since she had traveled such a far distance alone and it was starting to depress her.

_'I miss him.' _

She sighed quietly and frowned. She hadn't been away from Milly or the spiky-haired moron for more than a couple of days and she already felt painfully alone. Meryl tried not to allow her thoughts to linger on them for too long, but her mind always strayed to thoughts of them. Jaw clenched, she stubbornly tried to push them both from her mind. She would only start to cry again and she didn't want to meet her supervisor for the first time with puffy, bloodshot eyes.

Of course, she probably looked a mess anyway. It didn't really matter, Meryl never considered herself to be much a beauty to begin with. She knew she wasn't sore on the eyes, but she also knew that she lacked the physical assets that many men found appealing. Not that she had time to actively seek out a man in her life. She knew the reality of her situation and her personality type. Meryl was likely destined to always being single. She hated that fact, but she was smart enough to recognize the path her choices had placed her upon.

She didn't feel sorry for herself. At least not most of the time. She did like her career. She liked that her work put her in the unique position to be able to help people. Most insurance agencies didn't cover the damage done by Vash the Stampede, but since she was actively supervising the outlaw, she could prove that most of the damage that happened around him was not his fault. Which meant that a damaged home or destroyed business would be covered. In spite of the expense this placed on The Society, they had a surge of new clients since Meryl and Milly began their assignment. The Bernadelli Insurance Society was quickly becoming known as the "people's insurance company" because they were willing to cover damage that most other insurance companies wrote off as "an act of Vash the Stampede" and refused to cover.

This coverage did not come cheap. People had to pay more for high-risk Bernadelli Insurance, but they felt secure in the knowledge that if Vash happened to pass through their town and some freak accident would occur, they wouldn't lose _everything_.

So in that way, she was able to help people. Or at least put their worries at ease. And she liked to think that she was a help to Vash — a steady friend where he normally didn't have one. But sometimes she wondered if truly thought of her as more friend than persistent annoyance. Vash often seemed far more interested in ditching her than getting to know her. And to add insult to injury, he never called her by her given name. She was just, 'insurance girl.' A nobody.

_'Just my damn rotten luck.' _

Shifting uncomfortably on the saddle and pulling at her blouse, Meryl attempted to shake off some of the sand and rid her mind of thoughts of Vash.

_'If they don't fire me I should just quit for having to come all the way out here, damn it!'_

Meryl bit back her temper as she studied the path below her, verifing that she was still on the main road to Tober City. The road was barely recognizable, having been eroded by the strong winds and partially buried by the shifting sands. She doubted anyone had traveled this way in years. According to all the maps she had seen of the area, the only thing out here was Tober City. The nearest town was the city of November, and she just left from there the day before. She silently thanked God for blessing her with a good sense of direction and her long-dead grandfather for teaching her how to track when she was a child. Without those two gifts, she was certain she would be completely lost by now.

Meryl paused the thomas to get a drink of water and survey her surroundings more thoroughly. Now was no time for mistakes. As she scanned the area with her binoculars and double-checked her maps she felt the first real smile touch her lips since four days ago.

She had finally arrived.

Just a few hundred more yarz and she could finally take a break from traveling and get cleaned up. If time allowed, she could even rest for a bit, though she didn't know where she would be staying for the night. It wasn't as though Tober City would have any hotels or inns. She didn't know if Mr. Millio would be waiting for her already or if she would have some time to relax before she had to meet him.

Meryl took one last drink of water and secured it to her saddle.

"Let's get going," she said to the thomas as she nudged it with her feet. "The sooner we get there the sooner we both can relax and hopefully go home."

The thomas snorted in response as it slowly moved forward.

Biting her lip in a nervous gesture, Meryl cautiously approached main entrance of the long dead city. Tober was indeed much larger and darker than she had imagined. It seemed to loom above her almost ominously. The sensation made her skin crawl. Stories about how Tober City became a ghost town came to the forefront of her mind, reminding her of her childhood.

She was barely eleven-years-old when she first heard the stories about the plant explosion. People said it was the most powerful explosion since the destruction of July. It killed or maimed over 90% of the population and reduced the city to ruins. Entire families were wiped out in a single day. Schools full of children burned to ashes in seconds and people literally melted from the heat emanating from the exploding plant. Meryl remembered how the news had horrified her and she had been plagued with nightmares about it for weeks afterwards, fearful of the same thing happening in her town.

Both of her parents had worked at the local plant in the town she grew up in at one time or another. They were not plant engineers, but they did occasionally work to help maintain the plant itself. News about plant explosions or near-explosions always circulated quickly among plant workers and Meryl always dreaded the idea that one day their own plant would fall into chaos and kill both her parents in the process.

Dismounting the thomas, Meryl took the beast by the reins and started to lead it into the devastated town. With each step, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to rise. Swallowing hard, Meryl rationalized that it was just the eeriness of being in a place where so many people had died that set her on edge. Nothing more. Still, she reached for a derringer anyway, allowing instinct to have its way.

She wondered if her boss was somewhere in town waiting for her, as she had not been told specifically where she should go once she arrived. Clearing her throat, she called out loudly. "Hello? Mr. Millio...?"

She listened for a few moments after her voice echoed back at her. No response. No movement, no sound... nothing.

The anxious feeling within the pit of Meryl's belly continued to grow, regardless of how much she tried to reason with herself. She didn't like the feel of the place. It just... wasn't right. She felt like she was being watched. She was almost certain of it, but she quickly dismissed the notion as being preposterous. Why would her boss sit back and just watch her wander through town... unless he was some sort of a pervert or something?

Even so, she would much rather error on the side of caution than be caught unprotected and unarmed. If someone was here and wanted to hurt her, she would not hesitate to defend herself. Lethally if need be.

Tying the thomas to a nearby pole, she proceed into town with both hands gripping a weapon. It gave her a small sense of comfort to feel the familiar weight of the guns in her hands.

___'I wish Vash and Milly were here...'_

Meryl continued toward the center of town, carefully scanning the area for any indication of someone following her. She paused in front of the burned out remains of a building that looked strangely familiar to her. Entering it cautiously, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and she almost tripped over some debris as she stepped further into the room.

Her eyes widened in surprised as she examined the damage before her. The room looked like it had simply melted. The wall directly in front of her had a large hole in it that she could only assume had at one time been a place for a window. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the glass had simply dripped down the sides of the metal wall leaving behind a blackened cascade.

Fingers trailing over the unusual remains, Meryl became certain that she was standing in the husk of the building that had once been the main control room for the Tober City plant. She felt amazed once again at the strength and resilience of ancient technology. Somehow, this building had survived and remained standing, even though it was located at ground zero.

Stepping over more debris, Meryl made her way back outside. The brightness blinded her momentarily and she squinted painfully against the harshness of the suns. Shielding her face and keeping her eyes directed downwards, she noticed an odd, oily-looking stain in the earth. It was perfectly black and glistened strangely in the brightness of daylight.

___'Is that some type of oil?'_

Mery knelt down carefully and picked up some of the dirt in her hands, feeling the texture between her fingertips. It certainly didn't feel oily, but it did smell odd. She brought the dirt closer to her nose and inhaled. The scent wasn't offensive, but it wasn't all that pleasant either. She knew she had never smelled anything like it before.

___'This must be the remains of the plant...'_

"That is correct," a male voice suddenly said.

Startled, Meryl jumped quickly to her feet and instinctively raised her guns in the direction of the voice, her fingers ready on the trigger. Her breath caught in her throat and her hands started to tremble the instant she realized whom she was looking at. He smiled at her broadly, in an almost friendly fashion, causing dread to flood her senses. Her voice was barely a whisper as she mouthed his name into the wind.

"Knives..."


	6. chapter five :: nightmare

**Double Helix**

chapter five  
~ nightmare ~

* * *

Something was on top of her, she was sure of it. In the darkness that seemed to engulf her, she was certain something unworldly was either sitting on her or pressing down against her. Fear tickled at the back of her mind, but Meryl felt so heavy and groggy that she dismissed the sensation for a dream. Meryl wasn't one to sleep deeply, but grogginess held on to her with a vice grip. It was pleasant. Rare were the moments when she felt sleep pull at her so strongly. The darkness was calm, and strangely comforting.

Whatever it was that felt so heavy against her body would disappear if she simply rolled over onto her side and snuggled against her pillow, the deep sleep would return that much sooner. When her body refused to obey her will did she feel the first true hint of fear.

It was then that her mind began to question her situation. If she were dreaming, she wouldn't be thinking so logically. Therefore, she must be awake. The fact that she couldn't roll over onto her side was simply a side-effect of her grogginess. Nothing more.

It wasn't like she was paralyzed.

To prove her point, Meryl tried to move her arm. Then her leg. She even tried to wiggle her toes or move her hands.

Suddenly, her heart began to pound harder in her chest.

Why couldn't she move?

What was wrong with her? She should be able to move...

Why couldn't she move?

Night terrors. Yes. That had to be it. She was experiencing a night terror, or something similar. She'd heard of night terrors before, but she never experienced one for herself. It would pass in a few moments. Her body simply didn't know that her brain was awake. Once the two caught up, she'd have full mobility again.

It would pass.

Soon.

Meryl counted to one hundred and tried to move her fingers again.

Why couldn't she move?

Why did she still feel that weird pressure on her body? It felt almost like someone was sitting on top of her...

That was just part of having a night terror... wasn't it?

_Wasn't it?_

Meryl willed herself to calm down. The stress of her job was getting to her. That had to be it. She was just stressed out and overly tired. Travel tended to have that effect on her. Being assigned to follow Vash around meant she had to do _a lot_ of traveling...

_'Vash..?'_

All at once, Meryl remembered leaving him and Milly. She remembered boarding a sand-steamer and crying as she watched the landscape roll by. She remembered purchasing a thomas and the taste of sand in her mouth...

...but there was something else... something important... something to be afraid of...

The pressure on her body suddenly increased, causing her chest to tighten painfully as the air was suddenly pushed from her lungs. The sensation fueled the anxiety that haunted the back of her mind, causing it to roar to the foreground of her thoughts. There was something very important to be frightened of, but she couldn't place what it was. It lacked a name and a face, but it was as real as the fear that sent her pulse racing.

The more she tried to concentrate on that something, to name it, the more pressure she felt on her chest. Even her ability to form coherent thoughts became stifled. She had to fight to think clearly. If she poured all her concentration into it, she could recall flashes of memories, but none of the images she saw made any sense.

Finally, an image flashed in her mind that of someone she recognized, but the name of that person escaped her. She could only think of Vash when she saw the face, but the eyes were wrong.

_'Why are the eyes wrong?'_

As she tried to formulate the answer to that question, a cold malevolence moved through her, choking her. That man was someone she was supposed to fear. She knew him, but her ability to remember _why_ she knew him was lost to her.

Panic threatened to pull her mind into chaos. She fought back against the fear and forced herself to think. If she was truly in danger, she had to remain calm. With a new sense of purpose, she concentrated. The haziness relented a fraction, allowing her to explore her own thoughts. She feasted upon her memories, searching for the whys and hows. Still, she couldn't remember what happened to her, nor could she figure out why she felt such odd sensations all over her body. She felt like she was being held down... but by what? _How?_

Whatever it was, it was crushing her. It pressed down on every square inch of her flesh, preventing her from even the tiniest bit of movement. She felt the weight strongest around her ankles, chest and arms. Was she tied down? Her brain told her that her arms were at her sides, but she had the distinct impression that her feet were slightly elevated. And whatever she was laying on was hard. She wasn't in a bed or on the ground.

'_A table,_' she realized in horror. '_I'm on a table!_'

Somewhere within the haziness, a hand seemed to reach into her and puck out a forgotten memory from childhood. She recoiled from what the memory suggested, but it persisted. Earthly fairy tales and legends she had heard as a child swirled about in her mind and she could only think of demons. '_A demon must be sitting on you,' _the haziness seemed to suggest. Then the demon smiled at her, it's eyes a sickly yellow. Behind him she saw another pair of eyes watching her. Ice-blue eyes.

Pushing the image out of her mind, Meryl struggled fruitlessly against her invisible bonds. The more she fought, the greater the pressure upon her body became, causing her even more pain. She only needed to feel the sharp increase of pain once to know she had to calm down or else she would be punished again.

Then she heard the voices and the distinct and sickening sound of metal on metal.

Fear flooded her her body as the image of being in a hospital room filled her mind. The sensation was overwhelming and she could do nothing to stop the tide of panic building within her mind. Something horrible was going to happen to her if she didn't flee. She was certain of it. She had to get away. She _had_ to move.

_Calm down, Meryl. _

All thoughts ceased. Meryl was certain she _heard_ that, but not with her ears. Straining, she searched for the voice once again, but to no avail. Still, hearing her name — even if it was within her own mind — gave her a sense of stability. The tide of panic began to recede. If only a little.

Then something bit her arm, a pinprick of pain that reminded her of needles and tests. Another clang of metal caught her attention and then she felt something cold touch her, enter her, and the fear came back with a vengeance.

Sound refused her as she desperately tried to scream out in protest. Something was happening to her, something was being done to her — something cold and hard and painful was inside of her, stretching her, pushing painfully against the soft flesh inside her. Horrified, she felt like she was drowning as the sensations pushed against her belly. Her lungs suddenly couldn't get enough air.

She was hyperventilating, but the violation of her body continued.

Silent pleas filled her mind as she begged for whatever was happening to her to stop, for the pain and invasiveness to end. Instead, it merely withdrew as suddenly as it had entered her and she was empty. The murmur of voices and the clanging of metal continued in the haze as she tried not to feel the dull ache and cold slime between her legs.

• • •

"Initial test results appear promising, but we can't go forward with the procedure just yet." Dr. Conrad said as he pulled his gloves off with an audible snap.

Knives merely followed his movements as the doctor washed his hands, paying little attention to the woman strapped to the examination table behind him. It was the same table that Vash had been strapped to all those years ago.

Drying his hands, the doctor cleared his throat. "She looks perfectly healthy. Her uterus is a good size, the cervix appears healthy... the only thing holding us back is her menstrual cycle. If she is compatible we will need to wait at least two weeks before we can implant the seed."

"The final test results will only take a few days." Knives watched the doctor carefully store the blood samples. "I don't want to wait two weeks if she is compatible. Give her a hormone treatment."

"I would but you said that you didn't want her to be drugged in any way," Conrad said, "We don't want to risk upsetting her equilibrium. I think it would be best to wait for her uterus to prepare itself naturally. It should only take a couple of weeks."

Knives pursed his lips and let his eyes rest on Meryl's vulnerable form as the doctor gently covered her with a blanket. Legato was suspended a few feet behind her psychically keeping her restrained. He could feel her emotions and thoughts spill out of her like a torrential flood. She was in absolute despair, though to look at her one would think she was simply sleeping. Her terror-filled thoughts were distracting and he found himself somewhat disturbed by her reaction. He told her to calm down, but his words went ignored. So turbulent were her emotions that nothing would pacify her, though she did strive to _not_ give in to panic.

That, in itself, was a feat many humans never even attempted. It was almost commendable.

Almost.

In the end, she had crumbled as all flawed creatures do. Such was their nature. That much would never change.

"Fine," Knives acquiesced, "I will return in two weeks."

Conrad nodded.

"Legato, I have some business to take care of," Knives said, making his way toward the exit. "You know your responsibilities. She is to be protected at all costs. No physical harm is to come to her, but keep her under control."

The yellow-eyed cripple smiled and bowed his head, "Of course, Master. I understand."


	7. chapter six :: deceptions

**Double Helix**

chapter six  
~ deceptions ~

* * *

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end the moment the little Insurance Girl first mentioned Tober City. Instinct told him then that something wasn't right. Tober was barely worth noting before the plant accident and now it was nothing more than a ghost town. If it wasn't for the spectacular plant explosion that turned the city to rubble, most people wouldn't even know the name of Tober.

And now Meryl was being reassigned there?

It just didn't make sense. The words, '_Don't go,_' bounced on the tip of his tongue, begging to be spoken, but Vash couldn't find the nerve to say them. He cared about the Insurance Girls. In spite of everything and the constant attempts at ditching them, he did enjoy their company. They were a bright spot in an oppressively dismal and lonely existence. Even when he argued with Meryl over the silliest things, he was happy.

But happiness is as fragile as it is fleeting.

Vash always tried to maintain a line in his mind regarding his relationship with the Insurance Girls that could never, ever be crossed. For their protection and for his own sake, he couldn't allow them to delve too deeply into his life and into his heart. He had to maintain distance, otherwise Knives would exploit their relationship and it would be the Insurance Girls who would suffer the most.

He couldn't, _wouldn't_, do that to them. It didn't matter that Vash had already grown attached to them both or that he was hurting Meryl by ignoring her infatuation with him... all that mattered was that he couldn't give Knives a reason to notice them.

He should have known better.

_'I should have stopped her.'_

Guilt and regret had always been constant companions since planet fall, but now it felt like his body was eating itself alive. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't _think_... All he felt was a deep, dark dread of worry that whispered his worst fear over and over again.

'_Knives is somehow involved with this. Meryl is in danger... I should have stopped her..!_'

As those thoughts circled around within his brain, Vash and Milly worked hard to try to figure out where Meryl had disappeared to. The last time she contacted anyone from The Society was the night before she left for November. Milly used her contacts at Bernardelli headquarters to track how Meryl used her company allowance and they were able to confirm when she arrived in November, what Inn she rented her room from and the general stores she visited to stock up on supplies and to purchase a thomas.

With this information, and after talking to a few people who remembered seeing her, they were able to figure out a rough estimate on when she left November. From Vash's calculations, Meryl left for Tober almost five days ago. Since that time, no one had heard from her and she hadn't used any of her company allowance.

By the time Vash figured out Meryl's schedule of movements (or lack thereof), Milly was in a near-state of panic. There was no doubt in the younger agent's mind that something terrible had befallen her friend, and Vash wasn't going to argue her point. He was certain of it, too. But through it all, Wolfwood didn't say a word.

Silence shadowed them as the trio made their way to Tober. Vash didn't know what he could possibly say to bring any kind of encouragement or comfort to the humans he traveled with, so he said nothing. A few iles from town, he caught sight of an unusual brown lump on the horizon just east of the road. They approached the odd shape anxiously, each hoping that whatever it was that laid dead in the desert had nothing to do with their missing friend. The corpse of the thomas was barely a day old, but Vash knew the animal had died of dehydration. The poor beast still wore its bridle and saddle with shreds of leather hanging from its mouth. Apparently it had to chew its way through its ties for freedom. A difficult task with a bit in its mouth. Wolfwood approached the dead animal without a word, his hands searching through the pockets of the saddle. Within moments he found several papers and maps, each of them marked with Meryl's distinct handwriting.

Milly clenched at the front of her shirt as her shoulders began to shake. Then her body let loose with the heartbreaking sobs that made Vash's insides churn sickly with empathy and anguish.

"We should check out the town," Wolfwood said, his voice unusually soft.

Vash looked at him out of the corners of his eyes, noting the way he hesitated for just a moment before offering Milly a reassuring touch on the shoulder. She turned toward him, eyes bright and wet with tears, then she pressed her face against his chest and cried.

"Yeah," Vash turned his face toward the ruins of the distance. "I'll... I'll go on ahead. Don't linger out here too long. I doubt we're alone."

• • •

Tober looked exactly the same as he remembered. Desolate, foreboding and most of all, dead. What value the gutted out remains of the city once had was long gone - either lost to looters or to the elements.

Vash's eyes moved over the landscape with a critical awareness that begged the question, 'Why here?'

Tober was wind-worn and decrepit. It was a terrible location to stage an ambush as there was no where to effectively hide or lay in wait. The land was flat and unremarkable. The few buildings that remained standing were long overdue for collapse. If Knives wanted to lure Vash out for a confrontation, this would be the last place that his brother would choose to do it.

There would be no risk for human casualties in a place like this, and Knives _loved_ human casualties.

No, Tober was significant somehow. Knives never did anything with reason.

The last time Vash came to Tober was several years ago shortly after the plant disaster. He had heard the painful screams of an angel as it died, but the screams he heard from the plant angel in Tober were significantly different. The tone, pitch and weight of the screams made his skin crawl and his flesh break out into a cold sweat. For a brief moment, he feared that the humans had done something horrible to the plant, but when he inquired about it with his sisters, all they could tell him was that the Tober angel had done it to herself.

What that meant, Vash didn't know, but he knew he had to visit the city to see for himself what happened. During his journey, he frequently inquired of his sisters for details about the Tober angel, but none of them could help him. In fact, some of them purposefully ignored him. At the time, Vash had passed it off as simple mourning. The plant angels usually became more agitated and sensitive when a sister passed away. Vash didn't think anything was unusual about their unwillingness to communicate, but now that he thought about it, his sisters had been strangely quiet for a long time and he wondered at the reason why.

'_Now is not the time to think about that,_' Vash thought, running a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. When the opportunity presented itself, he would go talk to one of his relatives. In the meantime, he had to try to figure out what Meryl did in Tober. It was obvious that she had arrived in town, but where she went, what she did or whom she may have met after that was still a mystery.

Jaw clenched and hand lingering near his revolver, Vash's green eyes wandered from one burned out building to another._ 'Knives wouldn't kidnap someone unless he had a use for them,'_ he thought as he eyed the caved in remains of what had once been a post office. _'What possible use could he have for the Insurance Girl? Bait?'_

Vash frowned, quickly dismissing the thought, _'If she were going to be used as bait, Knives would have left a trail. There is no trail. If there is no trail and Knives did kidnap her, that could only mean that he didn't want to be found.'_

A cold chill went down Vash's spine and he swallowed hard. Knives was deliberate to the extreme. He was a planner. Purposeful and careful. If he wanted to use the Insurance Girl to hurt Vash, he wouldn't play a game of cat and mouse about it.

Chewing on his lip, Vash studied the landscape once again. If things did not start to turn around, he would have no choice but to confront Wolfwood. His self-control was being taxed to the limits as it was already. He knew Wolfwood knew more than he was letting on. The only thing keeping Vash from confronting the priest outright was his fear of possibly compromising the situation more than it already was. Vash still wasn't certain he wanted Knives and Wolfwood to know that _he_ knew.

Vash couldn't put his finger on the day he first realized that Wolfwood reported to Knives. It was just something he had come to know on an almost instinctual level. Wolfwood worked for Knives. That was just the reality of the situation. In spite of Wolfwood's kindness toward children and his friendly banter with the girls, he was a hired gun. Vash considered confronting Wolfwood not long after he came to the realization that he was a Gung-ho Gun, but quickly dismissed the idea.

While Wolfwood could never truly be trusted or considered a real friend, he was not a cold-blooded killer. In a way, Wolfwood was like Meryl and Milly. They were puppets. Except Wolfwood knew he was a puppet and knew who was pulling his strings. The girls honestly thought they were just doing their job.

Even with Wolfwood's divided loyalties, Vash still trusted that the man wouldn't allow any harm to befall the Insurance Girls. Now he had to wonder. If Vash found evidence that Wolfwood was in any way directly responsible for delivering Meryl to Knives he didn't know how he would react.

"Mr. Vash?"

Vash glanced over his shoulder to see Milly approaching him, a grim expression darkening her normally friendly face. Wolfwood wasn't far behind her.

"W- we found something..." she said, voice heavy. "You should probably take a look at it. We didn't move it."

He stepped toward the pair, noting the anxious looks on their faces, particularly on Milly who seemed to be on the verge of breaking down emotionally.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We'll show you," Wolfwood said as he turned around, leading them toward their find. Milly and Vash followed him without a word as they headed toward the center of town.

"We found the place where the plant must have been and we went inside to check it out," Wolfwood explained, glancing over his shoulder at Vash. "We found Meryl's guns inside. Two of them were empty."

Vash fell silent, the sense of dread he had been feeling since the little insurance agent boarded the sand-steamer multiplied ten-fold.

"They are just laying on the ground... out in plain sight. Meryl would never just drop her guns... she would never..." Milly trailed off, her voice thick. She was barely able to whisper the last part, "and there was... was blood... a lot of blood..."

They stopped in front of a building that Vash recognized from his last visit.

"In here?" Vash asked.

Milly nodded as Wolfwood put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her gently.

Vash stepped inside the building, carefully making his way through the various obstacles blocking his path to enter the area where the plant chamber used to stand. The black mark on the ground was still there, bleeding and staining any grains of sand that blew over top of it. Next to that stain laid Meryl's torn and bloodstained cloak and guns.


	8. chapter seven :: surrogate

**Double Helix**

chapter seven  
~ surrogate ~

* * *

_"Meryl Stryfe is a match._"

He felt the tension release its tight hold upon his heart when he heard those words. Everything was coming together. One piece at a time.

Since the day he first realized exactly what the seedling was, he was able to allow himself a sliver of relaxation. Floating in the timeless void of his plant chamber, Knives felt complacent. The final hurtle still needed to be overcome, but the free-born plant felt confident. The final preparations were being taken care of and all that remained was implantation. Ms. Stryfe was as uncooperative as expected, but her defiant behavior wasn't beyond his abilities. Legato certainly had no trouble subduing her.

Still, she attempted to escape on more than one occasion. Her courage fueled by the realization that she was too important to be harmed.

Therefore, creative ways to chastise her without causing her any physical harm had to be implemented. An easy task for Legato, a human with carefully honed talents and motivations. It had cost the human his freedom of mobility, but Legato finally learned how to torment without killing.

Ms. Stryfe was getting a taste of that talent.

All of Ms. Stryfe's punishments were swift and effective. The human psyche is weak and easily perverted. One twisted memory brought to the surface of her mind and she eventually crumbled under the emotional strain. Legato took great care to examine her mind fully and completely, seeking out all things with which to use to hurt her most. Regardless of the psychological assault that Legato pressed upon her every time she acted out, her independent and stubborn nature still refused to be subdued and she was starting to fight back again.

She was feisty, but not enough to prevent that which had to be done. Her refusal to be broken was a minor thorn and one that could be tolerated in order to achieve success. Today was the day that the seedling would be implanted into one Meryl Stryfe. Nothing she or anyone else could do would stop the procedure from being carried out and he had Rem to thank for that.

Ice-blue eyes slowly opened to regard the calm, a smile lifting his normally grim features. He felt wonderful. Everything was finally coming together.

Vash and his little friends were still wandering around blind, desperately seeking the petite brunette out. They only recently learned the truth about Knives' involvement in sending the two women to follow Vash. Bernardelli's unusual death and Ms. Stryfe's sudden disappearance forced the truth to be exposed far sooner than Knives had originally planned. Then again, Knives never planned to need Ms. Stryfe in quite this way before.

Zazie trailed Vash and his friends when they left November, watching the mismatched trio as they investigated Meryl's disappearance and tried to piece together what happened to her. In the end, they left Tober with fifty single-shot Derringers and a blood stained cloak. Not much to work with, but the carefully placed props served its purpose. The idea that the little human was already dead had been planted into all of their minds, thus allowing Knives additional control over the situation.

Still, not everything was proceeding as perfectly as the free-born plant would have liked. Vash's reaction to the realization that his brother's involvement regarding the 'Insurance Girls' had been most peculiar. Instead of lashing out in anger or grief, Knives was suprised to hear that Vash barely reacted at all.

A mixed feeling descended upon Knives when Zazie made his report. There was a moment of pride. Vash was still in tune with his environment and aware of everything that was going on around him. The free-born plant often feared that Vash had lost his edge in that respect, having surrounded himself with humans for so long and forsaking his heritage.

Then came discomfort.

Exactly how much did Vash know? Could it be that he _suspects_ far more than he lets on? Or, was that his poker face, a tactic to distract his opponent? Could Vash be playing, too? If so, what game was he trying to win, exactly? That is, if he was truly playing a game to begin with. Knives certainly was, and it was a game he intended on winning, whatever the cost. The consequences of losing were far too dire to imagine. He was certain that if Vash truly understood all that was at stake, he would be standing beside him rather than against him. That thought alone brought some hope to Knives.

He enjoyed a battle of wits with his twin, he always had. However, this time the game was drastically different. Knives was certain that his brother would finally see the forest through the trees if he would simply listen. After all, if his brother truly loved and respected life as much as he claimed he would surely understand why Knives must do what was about to be done.

The free-born plant let his eyes drift shut in the floating darkness. Vash had to be made to understand...

...but everything seemed so obvious...

___'Why does Vash refuse to see? Doesn't he hear their screams?'_

The memory of his older sister's corpse shone in Knives mind, sending electric hot angry shooting through his nerves.

Rem was to blame. For everything. The other humans always acted like the monsters that they were, but Rem lied. She pretended to be something she wasn't. She played a role to ease her guilt. She was the worst one of them all; a liar to the very end.

Knives raised a hand to his head, rubbing a lock of dark, shortly cropped hair between his thumb and forefinger. Rem never told them about this. She had to have known. She was always too busy playing mother or lying about humanity or getting their hopes up about the future or trying to hide the truth about their origins to bother with such a mundane detail.

Bitch.

If Vash would only open his eyes, see the world for what it was, and come to him, there would be no need to keep secrets. Together they could help their family achieve the next level of their existence and ensure their own survival. It would be so much easier if they could work together.

Everything was easier when the two of them worked together.

Vash's mind was so polluted and misguided with her lies and naïve idealism that it was nothing short of a miracle that he was still alive. Humans were like vultures - they seek out the weak and take advantage of those who give too much. Vash gives too much. Fortunately, Vash was not weak. Otherwise, he would be long dead. Knives' muscles tensed, heart pounded hard in his chest as the images of the scars covering his twin's body filled his mind.

She was reason for all his pain and suffering. It was because of her that his body bore so much disfigurement and scaring. Her idealistic, childish philosophy caused more hurt and grief for his brother than it did peace and harmony.

He hated her.

His only regret was not killing her sooner. Perhaps if he had silenced her after learning the truth Vash would not be as misguided as he was, but by the time Knives' eyes were opened and he realized the flaws in her ideals it was already too late. The damage was already irreversible. She had thoroughly poisoned Vash's mind and finally interfered with Knives attempt to kill all of the colonists in the event now known as the Great Fall.

It was her fault that things were the way they were. It was her fault that his people were suffering and on the verge of extinction. By saving one life, she was destroying another. She was the source of everything. She should never have taken the two of them out of the plant bulb and raised them as her own, but her own guilt forced her to do what logic probably told her not to.

She was a prime example of everything wrong with sentimentalism. Indeed, the phrase, 'the road to hell is often paved with good intentions' was created to describe humans like her. Typical humans, always looking out for their own best interests. He was doing them a favor by putting them out of their misery. If left to their own devices, the humans would end up destroying this planet as they did their native one. They are a species doomed to fail.

Yet here he was, about to implant the very future of his kind into a Homo-sapien. A human.

The irony was not lost on him, he could see how repulsive it was... but there was no other choice. He had tried for years to get one of the plant angels to nurture it, but none of his sisters would take it. None of them would carry it to term; they were all terrified of it even through they knew that without it they were all facing extinction. The concept of reproduction, change, evolution and freedom was so foreign to them that many were afraid of it. The seedling represented the unknown to them and they were frightened of it.

Nevertheless, it had to live. The potential contained within it was too much to ignore. It was a miracle that it had survived this long; it would not survive much longer. If the seedling rejected Meryl's body or if Meryl's body rejected the seedling then both human and seedling would die, and with them, any hope for the future.

• • •

He was doing it again.

He was playing with her mind.

Poking and prodding at memories she would rather keep buried; he was there dredging them up and forcing her to look at them and see herself in an ugly light. There did not seem to be a waking moment when he was not invading her mind or subduing her attempts to defy them. She could even feel him sneering at her, though she could not see him with her own eyes.

Resistance was tiresome. If she simply complied with their wishes, ate the food they gave her and allowed them examine her body she would not be punished. If she was good, she did not have to relive past nightmares and watch helplessly as new ones were created.

He was trying to break her, she knew. The sooner she gave up on herself and succumbed to Knives' will, the sooner the torment would stop. She knew he was in there now, looking for ways to hurt her. She could feel the pressure of his presence like the echo of a growing migraine. It was a strange sensation, to watch him from the first and third person point-of-view as he moved over her memories. In the beginning, Meryl did not know how to completely stop him from rummaging through her memories like one would rummage through an old closet, but she knew enough to be afraid when he did it. It always ended with him toying with her, altering her memories and turning them into grotesque nightmares that made her blood run cold.

Fortunately, she had learned how to distract him, or at least temporarily satisfy him. She discovered that if she quickly provided him with something 'safe' to toy with before he forcefully broke through her emotional barriers, she would have a much less painful encounter. She didn't like it, but it was a way to survive and remain sane one more day. Lately though, she had come to believe that he was toying with her by letting her think she was distracting him.

It didn't matter, she was certain that it would not be long before Vash, Wolfwood and Milly would find her. She just had to give them more time. They would not abandon her. Her faith in her friends sustained her.

___'They're going to find me and get me out of this God forsaken place,'_ Meryl told herself.___ 'I know they are.'_

A chuckle resonated within her mind.

___~I don't see them trying to tear down the door to get to you, do you?~ _A mocking voice asked within her mind,_~I told you, they think you're dead.~_

Meryl tried hard not to react, but her emotions betrayed her. She felt him smile within her.

___~You only live because the Master has a use for you,~ _Legato continued,_~That is the only reason we all live. You are worthless without Him. You are a waste of flesh... a perversion of creation. Once you are no longer useful, you will no longer exist.~_

"You're the same as me then," she whispered, refusing to answer him with her thoughts. She was too tired emotionally to put up much of a fight. Besides, he wasn't saying anything she hadn't heard before. His litany was getting old.

Another laugh, ___~We are family, you and I. Cousin by blood, Sister by service._~ He paused and pressed against her mind, testing her limits._~You are truly blessed among women. It is not often vulgarity can be used to create something holy.~_

"Is that so?" No one had told her why she was there, but she knew they planned on doing something to her body. Intuition whispered a suggestion as to what those plans could be, but it was so unbelievable that she constantly dismissed it. Thoughts of torturous procedures and operations filled her mind enough as it was.

___~It would be wise for you to behave properly today.~ _That never-ending smile impressed itself upon her mind again, rows of perfectly straight white teeth glistening in the darkness. ___~I'm telling you this for your own good.~_

"For my own good," Meryl scoffed, "Monster."

___~You're a whore from a family of whores,~ _Legato replied.

Meryl bristled. "I hate you. I will never cooperate."

His laugh echoed in her mind, filling her with scorn. As the sound faded from her consciousness, she felt her body go limp and gently collapse in upon itself against her will leaving her vulnerable and terrified.

Then the darkness engulfed her.

• • •

Meryl awoke strapped to her bed, an IV inserted into her right arm. She strained her eyes to focus on the bag filled with saline slowly dripping nutrients into her body and shivered. Something did not feel right inside. She didn't know how else to describe it, but it felt like something was quivering within her.

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Meryl tested her restraints hesitantly and found them to be as secure as she expected.

Something definitely felt _wrong_. Images of the multitude of medical tortures they could have done to her filled her mind, causing her to feel nauseous. Her instincts took over and she immediately began looking for an escape. Her eyes scanned the room, seeing everything in blocks of white devoid of detail. Turning her head to her left, she was met with the bright yellow-white glare of the morning suns as they rose to mark a new day.

Her heart pounded in her chest. That was wrong, too. It was still early in the afternoon when Legato took her, so it should be dark now but it wasn't. It was morning. She was missing a day, maybe more.

_'How long have I been like this?'_

The sound of the door opening and several sets of footfalls entering her room startled her. Her eyes still blurry, Meryl could barely recognize the people crowding around her bed, but she knew who they were even before they spoke.

A hand pressed down on her forehead and cheek, checking her temperature. Then that same hand grasped her wrist and felt her pulse. It was not until that hand pressed down on her belly, pushing against her insides and feeling her deeply that she cried out in pain.

"It has taken root."


	9. chapter eight :: confrontation

**Double Helix**

chapter eight  
~ confrontation ~

* * *

His head was throbbing, but at least his nose wasn't bleeding anymore. Little by little, the pressure in his sinuses were beginning to ease.

It had been years since he had last entered a plant bulb. Confronting an angel directly proved to be a difficult task after so long. Never mind that fact that she had been completely unwilling to cooperate. The action taxed his reserves and caused him to feel awash with guilt for invading his sister's domain, let alone her mind. Even so, it couldn't be helped. He was at the end of his rope and felt so desperate he could taste it.

Now he was floating in a sea of turmoil. He didn't know where to begin or how to react. The things he learned filled him with anger and grief.

Even those words: anger, grief... they were not enough. Nothing could describe the emotions filling his senses. His flesh itched with the need for a release. The more he ignored that need, the more demanding it became. So focused were his thoughts he barely noticed the feathers sprouting from his shoulders. They floated soundlessly in the darkness, their graceful fall in stark contrast to the rage building within.

The free-born plant felt a small comfort from the fact that the insurance agent was still alive. For now.

He still had a chance to save her, to stop Knives. A chance he never had with Rem. He couldn't bear the thought of letting another woman die because of his inability to stop his twin. If he could save _her_, perhaps it would make up for him not being able to save Rem.

Perhaps he could save his brother as well.

Vash grimaced and dug his fingers into his knee. The anger was still too tangible. Saving Knives almost seemed laughable at this point, but the memory of Rem refused to let the concept go. Normally, Vash's emotions were manageable when _he_ was Knives' only target...

...but now that his twin had involved Meryl...

The free-born plant squeezed his eyes tightly shut and felt his flesh ripple. Teeth bit into his lip until he tasted blood, but still his wings threatened to explode out of his back. The urge to reveal his true nature felt overwhelming.

Vash sucked in a deep breath and held it, forcing himself to relax and regain his poise. Fingers rubbed the blackened hair on the back of his head as he slowly exhaled. He could not afford to lose control. He could not give Knives more of an advantage than he already had. He had to be smart. He had to play the game as Knives would play it.

There could be no mistakes. Knives would not win this time.

Knives had always been good at manipulating others. Vash had never developed such a skill. Knives was proactive, Vash was reactive. Clearly, Knives held all the cards... or at least he thought he did.

It was time to change that. It was time to take a lesson out the playbook that Knives used and be proactive. That was the reason why he went to his sister today. That was his rationale for forcing her to tell him everything she knew. He was justified because people were counting on him. People who cared about him... and he couldn't let them down.

Vash clenched and unclenched his jaw angrily as he stared holes into the door, waiting for Wolfwood to return.

• • •

"We'll find her, Milly," Wolfwood said, smiling at his companion tenderly. "I don't believe she's dead. Don't lose hope."

Milly offered the priest a small smile and let her eyes drift down to the half eaten pudding before her. Everything tasted bland to her now, even pudding. It was nice of the priest to buy her some. It was obvious that he was doing his best to cheer her up, but nothing could ease her heart. She was sick with worry and regret.

Her eldest brother told her once that it was pointless to live in the past. _"Don't waste your time with regret,"_ he told her once, _ "What's done is done. All you can do now is learn from your mistakes."_

He was right of course. You _can't _go back and rewrite history... but her regrets kept piling up within her heart. She felt responsible. Guilty. All Milly could think about were the "if only's." _'If only I tried a little harder... I might have been able to convince Meryl to stay,' _or _'If only I asked Meryl what was wrong the night she talked to Mr. Bernardelli... she would be safe now.'_

Milly felt powerless. It was bad enough that she didn't listen to her intuition and stop Meryl from going, but now that same intuition told her that her friend was in grave danger. She didn't believe Meryl was dead, but the possibility gnawed at her. If Meryl sill lived then there was something to hope for. That hope was a small spark, but Milly felt it. She clung to it as though she were about to drown and nurtured it as much as she could... but waves of doubt still washed over her.

What would she do if Meryl was dead? How could she face her family and explain that to them? She was her partner, her best friend... Meryl's mother would be heartbroken. If Meryl was never found, Milly doubted she could ever forgive herself. As Meryl's partner, it was her job to look out for her. They looked out for each other. They were a team. Even if their assignment had been a sham from the beginning, that didn't belittle the fact that they were a team.

Milly had failed her.

The insurance agent felt her throat tighten and tried hard not to cry. She turned her face down and away from Wolfwood, hoping he wouldn't notice her trying to compose herself. Milly didn't want to cry again. Too many tears had been shed already and tears wouldn't bring Meryl back any sooner.

She had to be strong. Like Meryl.

A napkin was placed in her palm and she felt the priest wrap his hand around hers, closing her fist around the napkin. His display of compassion brought her over the edge and the tears came unbidden.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" The priest asked.

Milly sniffled and nodded, grateful for the excuse to leave the café.

The suns had already set when they exited, making the air feel crisp and cool. Milly breathed deeply and cleared her throat, earning a glance from the priest beside her. He waited for her to speak, but the silence remained. Normally cheerful eyes now distant and thoughtful, they walked together in a dejected silence. Wolfwood wanted to comfort the woman, but felt unable to do so when he couldn't even comfort himself.

Meryl was as good as dead and he knew it.

"There's our hotel," Milly whispered. She offered a strained smile, "I didn't realize the café was so close. I must not have been paying very close attention earlier."

Wolfwood nodded, feeling strangely uneasy around the girl. "Tongari wants to leave town early tomorrow, so we should probably turn in."

"Do you think Mr. Vash learned anything today?" Milly asked.

Wolfwood paused, considering. "I don't know. I hope so. Lord knows we could use some direction."

"I hope so, too," the girl murmured, her eyes reflecting her sadness. Catching herself, Milly smiled, "Well, good night! I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Milly."

Wolfwood gave her a brief wave as she started to head into the hotel. She paused, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she turned toward him.

"Thank you for the pudding, Mr. Priest," she called to him.

He nodded. "You're welcome."

As soon as she disappeared, Wolfwood pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. It was difficult to relish his addiction under the cloud of despair that hung over them. Tomorrow they were supposed to go to Red Dune. Tomorrow they would probably learn the truth.

Wolfwood sighed as he watched the second moon peek over the horizon. Vash had been doing his research and putting two and two together.

The priest wondered if Vash knew the true significance of the Red Dune Laboratory. On the surface, it wasn't unique. It was one of three such genetics labs known to exist on the planet. Everyone knew someone who was a "test tube" baby from one of those three labs. With so many people killed in the Great Fall, it was necessary to keep the genetic pool "fresh" by introducing new chromosomes into the mix.

The loss of the Red Dune Laboratory was a huge blow to the SEEDs Foundation. Because of the nature of the destruction, and the fact that there were no surviving eyewitnesses, Vash the Stampede had been blamed for the loss and his bounty was increased by another five billion double dollars. Knives most certainly had a hand in the increase in Vash's bounty. It wouldn't be long before they were plagued by vigilantes, federal marshals and various bounty hunters once more. Vash would never know peace as long as Knives lived.

Dropping the finished cigarette to the ground, Wolfwood stamped it out and slowly made his way into the hotel.

Vash would be back by now and most likely he would be extremely frustrated and worried. He was having an even more difficult time dealing with Meryl's disappearance than Milly was, and that was saying something. Wolfwood always suspected that Vash felt more of an attachment for the petite agent than he let on, but now he was certain.

Still, it didn't help that Vash was unable to sleep and barely ate. His body was showing signs of obvious stress and fatigue and that was very worrying. Wolfwood didn't quite know how to handle a severely stressed Humanoid Typhoon, so he did his best to stay out of his way. Even so, Vash was quick to anger and even quicker to react. And that was bordering on becoming dangerous.

A self-defeated sigh escaped the priest's lips as he climbed the stairs leading to the room he shared with Vash. Wolfwood doubted the angel had been very helpful today. Knives said that none of the plant angels would talk to Vash, and so far, none have. It was a trend that was only serving to make the outlaw even more stressed out and anxious. Stepping inside the darkened hotel room, the priest fumbled a bit as he looked for a light. The sudden slam of the door behind him caused him to almost jump out of his skin as he whirled around to see what happened.

"Welcome back."

Wolfwood turned toward the strangely familiar voice, a sense of fear and alarm edging into his consciousness.

_'Knives?'_

Two glowing eyes peered back at him through the darkness and he knew at once that it wasn't Knives he was looking at, but Vash.

"How was your day, Nicholas D. Wolfwood?" the free-born plant asked.

Wolfwood's mouth hung slightly agape as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Vash was sitting on the floor with one leg drawn up to his chest and one arm dangling over his knee. Feathers surrounded him, each in its own stage of decomposition. To his right lay his gun.

_He knows!_

Wolfwood felt his mouth go dry. He swallowed hard, praying that his voice would remain steady when he spoke. "I had a fine day," the priest said carefully, "How was yours?"

"Interesting." Vash paused, tilting his head to one side. "Disturbing."

Wolfwood said nothing as he moved to turn on a light, feeling the need to see Vash more clearly.

"Leave it off," Vash ordered.

The priest slowly pulled his hand from the lamp, "Oookay..."

An uneasy silence filled the room. Wolfwood stood awkwardly for a moment before deciding to sit. An interrogation was coming, he could feel it. The few moments he had to prepare himself for what was coming was best not wasted.

"You haven't asked me if I learned anything from my sister today," Vash said. "That's rather rude of you."

Wolfwood pulled a chair out and frowned, "I'm sorry. _Did_ you learn anything?"

"Yes, I did. I had to enter the plant chamber to do it. I had to force myself into her mind to get the answers I wanted, but I got those answers."

"I... see," Wolfwood said uneasily.

"Do you?" Vash asked, his voice cold. "Tell me what you see. I'd love to hear it."

A stoic expression was the only reply Vash received. The free-born plant smirked and rubbed his nose, but the strained silence continued. With every frigid word that dripped from Vash's lips, Wolfwood's heart pounded harder as adrenaline began to flood his system. Only his white-knuckle grip on the seat of his chair belayed the priest's inner turmoil. Vash's eyes still glowed. Feathers still rose from his flesh.

The plant was agitated, and therefore, extremely dangerous.

"I've always known _who_ you are, Wolfwood." Vash stated simply, bright eyes blinking. "Or should I say Chapel the Evergreen? Which do you prefer? Chapel or Wolfwood?"

The priest moistened his lips. "Knives calls me Chapel."

Vash smiled lazily, "Then I will call you Chapel, too. Tell me, _Chapel_, what are my brother's orders for you?"

"To safely deliver you to Knives."

"Is that all?" Vash asked.

"Yes."

"You had nothing to do with the Insurance Girl's disappearance?" the free-born plant regarded the priest skeptically, "No prior knowledge? You played no part in her reassignment?"

Wolfwood remained silent, the words failing at his throat.

"Does your silence condemn you?" Vash asked.

"N-no..." Wolfwood stumbled, "I didn't know they were actually going to use Meryl. I knew she was being considered, but I didn't know that they decided to actually do it. I heard other women were being considered... Milly was even considered... but, Doc-"

"But you knew about the seedling?"

The priest blinked. "Y-yes."

"At what point did you know they were going to use her?"

Wolfwood sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I figured it out the day she announced that she was going to go to Tober to meet with Kevin Millio."

"I see," Vash rubbed his knee absently, "And you didn't stop her, you just let her go knowing what they were going to do to her."

"I didn't-"

"You _let_ her go." Vash interrupted, "You _knew."_

"She's still alive."

A loud crash filled the room and Wolfwood suppressed a cringe. Vash had knocked over the night table beside him and sent it flying toward the priest, showering the human with bits of debris.

"She's _still_ alive?" Vash shouted, "She's a bloody guinea pig! They're using her to put a thing inside of her that my own people won't even take! It _will_ kill her!"

Wolfwood oozed silence, his sense of guilt preventing him from defending himself. Vash had every right to be angry. Wolfwood knew about the trap Meryl was walking into from the very beginning and he let her go. He could have encouraged Vash to stop her from going, he could have told her not to go himself... but he did neither of those things. He deserved everything Vash dealt him and more.

Vash ran his hand through his hair and groaned pathetically. "Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"Don't... don't lie to me," the free-born plant growled, "I have reached my limits, _Chapel._ Don't fucking _ lie_ to me."

"I'm not lying," Wolfwood said quickly, "I don't know where she is. I have an idea of where she could be, but I don't know if she's actually there or not. I'm out of the loop on this one. Knives made sure of that. You probably know as much as I do now... maybe more."

Vash sucked in a deep breath and rubbed his brow. "Then tell me everything you know."

Wolfwood sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Knives learned of the seedling's existence a few years ago and sent Legato to recover it. He thinks the seedling is more _advanced_. He says that it is further up the evolutionary ladder than both you and himself. He thinks that if it survives, it will ensure the survival of all the plants.

"None of the plant angels would take it, they were all afraid of it. They were afraid that the gestation and birth would kill them. Without a surrogate, the seedling was starting to die. Knives was becoming desperate because of the Hair Darkening Effect, so he convinced one of the plant angels to take it. Her body rejected it. Then Dr. Conrad told Knives his theory. He claims that about 30% of the human population have genetic mutations caused by the plants. Because of Rem's prolonged exposure to you and Knives, the nature of her job on the ship and the timing of her contribution to the genetic banks, her ovum were considered to be _very_ mutated. That meant that her offspring would be the most _'mutated' _of all. In theory."

The priest watched Vash carefully, expecting him to say something. When he didn't, Wolfwood took a deep breath and continued, "Knives sent Midvalley and Legato to the Red Dune Labs to get Rem's DNA samples and medical files. From there, they traced down the best viable surrogate and Meryl was it. She was one of their top choices even before they had confirmation about her ancestry. Her exposure to you is probably the reason for that, I don't know. Her being a descendant of Rem was the icing on the cake."

Seconds ticked by and Wolfwood felt himself begin to relax, just enough to relieve the pain in the back of his neck. Vash was still behaving abnormally and Wolfwood knew better than to let his guard down completely.

"What is this Hair Darkening Effect?" Vash asked in a near whisper.

"When the angels have exhausted their power, their hair starts to turn black and eventually they die," Wolfwood explained, "They consume themselves."

Vash unconsciously rubbed the back of his hair, his eyes becoming distant. "Has Knives' hair started to go dark?"

"A tiny bit, yes," Wolfwood nodded.

"Good."

Wolfwood raised an eyebrow at Vash, but the plant remained quiet as he contemplated. Green eyes stared the floor for several long minutes, only the sound of Vash's soft breathing could be heard. Finally the free-born plant spoke, his voice returning to its normal tone for the first time since Wolfwood walked into the room.

"I want you to take us to this place where you think Meryl could be." Vash's eyes lifted to peer at Wolfwood intently, "You're going to help us get her back."


	10. chapter nine :: zion

**Double Helix**

chapter nine  
~ zion ~

* * *

Wolfwood wasn't looking at her anymore. He wasn't smiling or trying to lighten her mood or wink at her playfully. He didn't offer to pull out her chair at breakfast yesterday and he didn't ask her how she slept. In fact, he wasn't even talking to her. He seemed to be outright avoiding her.

Vash was acting strangely, too. He was still polite and cordial to her, but was rude and obtrusive toward Wolfwood. He didn't smile at all, not even out of a sense of courteous obligation. Worse, his eyes seemed to have a disquieting gleam about them. Milly couldn't help but to notice the harsh expression he wore whenever he spoke to Wolfwood.

Something had definitely changed. Something bad.

As they traveled together by car across the open desert, Milly couldn't bear the uncomfortable silence any longer. She leaned forward from the back seat and asked the question that had been nagging at her for the last four hours. The question she was afraid of asking.

"Why are you two acting so strangely?"

The car felt even more oppressive once the words left her lips. Wolfwood said nothing, his lips pursed together to form a tight, thin line as his eyes stared straight out onto the road ahead. Vash simply scowled. Finally, the blond gunman turned in his seat to face Milly. The severe look in his eyes made her blood run cold, "Why don't you ask Wolfwood here where your partner is? That might answer your question."

Milly's mouth dropped open as she looked from Vash to Wolfwood and back again. The look on his face when he spoke was bad enough, but the tone of his voice was far worse. Eyes wide with uncertainty, Milly wished she hadn't said anything at all.

"Well, why don't you tell her, _Chapel,"_ Vash said, giving a sidelong glance to Wolfwood as he drove. "She deserves to hear about what is happening to her friend, don't you think?"

"Ch- chapel?" Milly asked, her confusion evident. "What are you... I don't... what's..."

Her voice trailed off into a thin whisper when she saw Wolfwood's eyes looking at her through the rear-view mirror. Regret shone in his eyes for the briefest of moments before he forced himself to look away. In that instant, she knew he had done something terrible.

"Okay, I'll tell her." Vash turned in his seat to face Milly again, "Wolfwood here works for Knives. Did you know that? He is Chapel the Evergreen of the Gung-ho Guns."

Milly blinked and looked back at Wolfwood. Shoulders tense and jaw tightly clench, he kept his eyes trained to the road.

"N-no," she breathed.

Vash straightened in his seat. "Oh, yes," he said. "He's been lying to us all along. Chapel here knew that Meryl was walking into a trap, but didn't stop her. Knives has your partner and is using her for some sort of experiment that will ultimately kill her. Because Chapel didn't stop Meryl or speak up sooner, the experiment has already begun and we're probably already too late."

The outlaw peered at Wolfwood, eyes narrowed and dangerous. "Does that cover it, Chapel? Do you have anything you'd like to add?"

The priest clenched the steering wheel in a white knuckled grip, "No."

The car fell back into silence for several moments, only the sound of the wind rushing past the car and Milly's quiet sniffles from the back seat filled the emptiness of the vehicle.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way," Vash said, his voice tinged with a familiar kindness. "But there is no easy way to hear news like that."

Milly did not reply. Grief choked her voice and stole away her ability to speak. She could feel the tears building behind her eyes, begging for release, but Milly fought against the urge. She needed to hear it from him. She needed to know for sure.

Clearing her throat, she gazed at Wolfwood's profile and forced herself to speak. "Where are we going?"

"There is a compound in the Northern region that Knives used as a hideout," Wolfwood said, "It's the only place I know of where Meryl might be."

"So it's true?" Milly asked, her voice broken. "It's really true?"

Wolfwood glanced at her through the rear-view mirror. "Yes, it's true."

Her fist flew forward and struck Wolfwood on the temple, causing the car to suddenly veer to the left. Wolfwood quickly corrected the path of the car, but the young woman wasn't quite finished yet. With an angry hiss, she leaned forward in her seat and hit him again. This time she struck his mouth with all the strength she could muster and was rewarded with a thin ribbon that leaked from his freshly split lip.

After several moments of silence, Milly's quiet broken voice invaded the tension that filled the empty spaces of the car.

"Wolfwood, I... I can't forgive you for this."

• • •

The compound was empty of inhabitants, just as Chapel thought it might be, but some equipment had been left behind. Vash spend nearly twenty hours reconnecting wires, soldering components and jury-rigging the computer together in the hopes of being able to access any information that could help him in his search.

Knives was the type to be extremely organized. Even as a child, he would write out his ideas and thoughts. He said it helped him to organize his mind. Vash doubted his brother would be foolish enough to leave pertinent information pertaining to his plans involving the little insurance agent on the computer, but it was the only lead he had. If Knives saw this as a game it would be just like him to leave his brother a piece of the puzzle behind. Just enough to tease Vash along. Knives was nothing if not arrogant.

That, coupled with the fact that Vash's bounty had been steadily going up in value and mercenaries were constantly on his trail told him that Knives was well aware of his movements. If his twin really wanted to stop him, Vash was certain Knives would employ other more destructive methods rather than rely on hired hit men. Vash was confidant that Knives' true objective was to simply delay him.

He could attempt to delay the outlaw all he wanted. It didn't change the fact that Vash would find his brother and put a stop to this sick experiment.

As the last few components were soldered together, the free-born plant hoped his brother's brazenness would lead to his undoing. The result of Vash's day as a makeshift computer tech was a crude reconstruction of what had once been a control and communications center.

All that it needed was a power source. Vash placed his hands on the console and began to carefully funnel some of his energy into the machine. He watched with a guarded smile as one light glowed at him cheerfully, then another, until the entire system began to whirl with life.

The monitor blinked at him, displaying the default welcome screen.

Vash entered in a search command seeking out any data having to do with the seedling or Meryl. The computer whirled for a moment, then a new message appeared on the screen.

**Security 05: Enter Password**

Smiling to himself, Vash began to enter a password he remembered from his childhood, a password he was confident Knives would most likely use.

**Error: Incorrect Password**

Undaunted, he entered another password he remembered from his time on the SEEDs ship.

Then another.

...then another...

...until dozens of passwords and variations thereof had been exhausted.

Knives was tormenting him. Vash had no doubt now. The bread crumbs were so glaring they were almost screaming at him. Had Knives truly wanted to prevent Vash from breaking into his files, he would have been completely locked out after the first failed password attempt or there wouldn't be a computer for him to hack into at all. Obviously Knives wanted Vash to work for his reward. The bastard was probably enjoying a good chuckle at his expense.

Running a flustered hand through his hair, Vash began to enter random words that he thought might unlock the system, his hope beginning to dwindle with each failed attempt. After several minutes, a fist slammed down against the console with a frustrated whine.

It was no good. He couldn't get into the system. To be so close and yet so far...

Vash slowly let his body slump to the floor, his forehead resting against the metal skin of the control panel.

"Damn it," he muttered as he tried to ignore the threatening sting of tears. "Damn it!"

His options were running out. With each dead-end that delayed him was another minute of pain for a woman who cared about him. She was counting on him, he knew she was. He couldn't let her down. This was his chance to make up for Rem, to make up for all the humans who died in the Great Fall, to make amends...

He couldn't let them down. He couldn't let Knives win again. Anger flared up and blanketed the pain as he thought of his brother. Vash didn't know what he was going to do when he confronted his twin, he only knew that Knives had to be stopped. Permanently.

Even if it meant that he would have to kill him.

Vash chewed on his bottom lip. He didn't know what disturbed him more: the actual thought of killing Knives or the fact that the thought of killing Knives didn't bother him anymore. It wasn't too long ago when such a rationalization would have made his flesh crawl in revulsion.

Now it seemed like the only logical thing to do.

"Rem," Vash whispered brokenly, "what should I do?"

With a tired sigh, Vash stood up to face the jeer of the flashing monitor. It seemed to wink at him mockingly, daring him to try again. He stared at it for several minutes before the answer came to him. An analogy his twin told him once came to mind. Knives used a biblical reference to illustrate why the humans must die. He compared the current plight of the plants to the Israeli's of ancient earth and their exodus to freedom. God commanded the Israeli's to kill their enemies. All of them. Otherwise they would always be at war over the land. The Israeli's failed to follow God's command and war always haunted them.

For the plants to live in peace, their enemies must be destroyed. The humans must all die.

'Canaan...'

With the trembling hands of a man out of options, Vash typed in his last try.

_Genesis1513_

**Access Granted**

**Please Wait.**

* * *

**Genesis 15:13:** Then the Lord said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years..."


	11. chapter ten :: hades

** Double Helix **

chapter ten  
~ hades ~

* * *

Cool palms pressed against tired eyes. The gesture didn't ease her discomfort in the least. All she could do was moan her pain quietly into the darkness. The room was spinning again. The walls would slowly move in one direction then suddenly jump back to their previous position only to repeat the process all over again. She felt like she had been watching this pattern for hours.

It was making her nauseous.

Closing her eyes, repositioning her body, propping herself up on her pillows... nothing seemed to help curb the feeling and she desperately longed for sleep. Just a few short hours of sleep...

Meryl rolled over and felt dampness against her cheeks. She was crying again. If she wasn't sobbing, she was throwing up. If she wasn't throwing up, she was obsessing about her situation and wishing for a miraculous rescue or a quick death. Sleep was the only moment of peace she had anymore, and now even sleep was eluding her.

She was in hell.

Doubt filled her mind, fueled by the flood of hormones raging through her system and a constant sense of fear. No one was coming for her. Surly if Vash was looking for her he would have found her by now... wouldn't he? She had been holding onto the hope of being found... of being rescued for weeks now... months... If he was looking for her... she would have heard something... noticed something...

Right?

That… that _she_-man told her that all her friends thought her already dead. Meryl was nothing but a corpse as far as the rest of the world was concerned. He went on to tell her that although she wasn't technically dead, _yet,_ she would never leave this place alive. She would die in Canaan and Eleandra the Crimson Nail would be the one to kill her.

She hated Eleandra. Almost more than she hated Legato.

Eleandra the freakish she-man had happily told Meryl about how he looked forward to the time when he would see her impaled upon one of his "precious nails." How thrilling it would be to watch her die a slow, painful death. He even went on to tell her a lovely tale about a man known as Vlad the Impaler from ancient Earth history, just to add more spice to his verbal torture. Then he had smiled at her. A cheery, feminine smile that showed rows of perfectly white and perfectly straight teeth.

She _hated_ him.

The moment he smiled at her she spit on him. It was the only moment of pleasure she had since arriving. Satisfaction coursed through her veins as she watched his expression change from sadistic delight to shock and disgust to pure fury.

Without wiping his cheek clean, he backhanded her in return. Meryl spun and stumbled backwards, landing hard on her hip. If Knives hadn't witnessed the exchange she was certain that the she-man would have given her more than a bruised cheek and sore left hip. Meryl regretted not angering the she-man further. Perhaps if she had pushed him far enough he would have killed her, thus saving her the trouble.

As much as she hated the concept of suicide, she was quickly coming to the conclusion that death seemed like the only option to her anymore. If Vash wasn't coming for her, if they all thought she was dead, what hope did she have? Death was the only surefire way to be free of Knives and his sadistic group and to kill the thing growing inside her.

The dizziness that plagued her finally began to lesson as the spinning of the room slowed down enough for Meryl to close her eyes without feeling like she was on verge of puking. The _thing_. The parasite. She hated that, too. It felt like it was sucking away all her energy. She could barely move without feeling completely exhausted.

She felt like she was already dying.

The doctor told her that what she was feeling was normal. "All pregnant women experience what you are describing," he said.

Meryl knew better and wanted to strangle him for saying such a thing. She was not pregnant. She was diseased. It was unnatural! It wasn't of her flesh and blood. She wasn't _pregnant._ She had a parasite inside of her and it was killing her! It was consuming her, and when it was done, it would become a monster just like _him._

She hated it. She hated herself for being a "compatible host" to it. She hated the way her flesh felt under her own hands. She hated the way her body so readily accepted it like it _belonged_ there... like she was meant to have it inside of her. More than anything, she wanted it to die and be flushed from her body. She didn't care if Knives or that she-man killed her for her actions. Her life wasn't worth living with it growing inside of her anyway. And the shame... she didn't think she could live with the shame.

She already tried to abort it once, but Knives stopped her before she could finish the job. If she didn't hesitate... if he had come just a minute later... Meryl was certain she could have killed the thing. She would have to act quicker next time. If she couldn't abort it, she would kill herself before it had a chance to be "born." She'd been watching, observing. Meryl knew the doctor's routines and where he kept his equipment and drugs. Her opportunity was coming; she would just have to be patient.

Her time would come.

As sleep finally began to overtake her, Meryl allowed herself a brief, self-mocking smile. One way or another, this would all be over soon.

• • •

His hands felt unnaturally warm when he gripped Meryl's arm, anticipating a struggle. Violet eyes remained fixed in place as she stared at the far wall.

"How have you been feeling this week, Ms. Stryfe?" he asked as he swabbed her arm.

"The same," she answered automatically.

The needle penetrated her skin. Blood quickly filled one test tube. Then another.

"Nauseous?" he asked.

A nod.

He pressed a cotton ball against the prick in her arm. "Dizzy?"

Another nod.

The doctor eyed her closely, "You have some circles under your eyes. You're still having trouble sleeping?"

"Every night."

"I see," he applied a band-aid to the small wound. "How's your appetite?"

"I can't eat."

Frowning, the doctor asked, "Because of the nausea?"

Meryl made no reply.

The doctor sighed as he reached for his clipboard. "You know, if you continue to refuse to eat he'll just have me confine you here and feed you intravenously again."

He eyed her for a moment waiting for some sort of reaction. Seeing none, he shook his head. "Meryl, you and I both know how this is probably going to turn out for you. Why make these last few months even more difficult for yourself?"

Meryl clenched her jaw tightly as tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to respond. To his credit, the doctor let the subject drop and quietly placed a tissue in her trembling hand.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said.

"No you're not," Meryl whispered, her throat tight. "I'm an experiment to you. Don't insult me by pretending to care, because I know that you don't. You're just as much a monster as _he_ is." She glared at him for a brief moment with unveiled hate before tearing her eyes away, "No, I take it back. You're worse. You're human."

The doctor regarded her with an odd expression on his face, his mouth hanging slightly open. She could sense that he wanted to say something, to refute her claims, but there was no use. He knew the truth when he heard it and she was a little surprised by his silent confession.

"Please go stand on the scale," he ordered.

Meryl complied.

Dr. Conrad made note of the measurement on his clipboard before pulling out a tape measure. "Raise your arms, please."

The examination complete, the doctor instructed Meryl to relax and wait a few moments until he returned. The woman nodded, violet eyes once again fixed in an unseeing stare.

With the click of the door, Meryl immediately got to her feet.

Every second counted.

A wave of dizziness attacked her, nearly sending her to the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut as she begged the sensation to pass, then nearly cried with relief when it did. Time mocked her, sending a fresh wave of adrenaline through her body. Without hesitation, she pulled at the drawer she knew contained scalpels. Realizing that the drawer was locked, she pulled again, with both hands. It was no good. Grabbing the pen that Conrad left behind she tried to jam the lock with its metal tip. She didn't know what he hoped to accomplish with the act, but she was growing desperate.

In disgust, she threw the pen to the floor and gave a frustrated whine. How could this be happening to her? He would be back soon. If she didn't get the drawer open now she may never have another chance.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Meryl repositioning herself, placing one foot on the cabinet and both hands wrapped tightly around the drawer handle. Either that drawer would open, or Meryl would rip the handle off. Either way, she had to try. With a pained grunt, she pulled with all her weight. Then with a loud POP! the drawer gave way and Meryl stumbled backwards and fell hard on her backside. All around her lay various medical tools, included the very item she wanted most.

Time was running out. They must know what she was planning. Without a doubt, they were listening to her thoughts now and all the noise was a dead giveaway. They would be coming for her. She had to do it now.

Meryl grabbed the scalpel nearest to her and held it tightly against the narrowest part of her arm. She didn't even realize she was crying until she saw a tear splash against her exposed wrist. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Meryl hesitated for just a second before digging the scalpel deep into her skin and pulled it forward, creating a diagonal cut toward herself.

Breathing hard from the pain, she prepared to cut herself again when the door flew open. Dr. Conrad and Knives froze at the sight of her, each with an expression of shock and horror washing over their features.

Meryl paused as she peered at the plant. '_Is Knives... surprised?'_

Too Vash-like eyes bore into hers and she winced. "What the hell are you doing!"

Rough hands grabbed her injured arm and pulled her up violently. The scalpel fell from her hands in a clatter.

"I'm going to kill it," she whispered.

Knives' fingers dug deeper into her flesh as his anger mounted, further tearing the wound. Thunder vibrated within her breast, bringing her a small taste of hope. She could feel her blood pouring out of her with every thump of her heart.

Perhaps she succeeded after all...

The world spun when she was forced to her feet and shaken violently. Cringing, Meryl's eyes blurred as the dizziness returned.

He was yelling at her. Screaming. She blinked, forcing herself to focus. Spittle flew from his mouth as he yelled. Tender flesh bruised under his fingertips as he shook her once more. The pain was gone. Sound was beginning to fade away. Only the delightful feel of her blood pouring out of her registered in her mind.

The last thing she remembered before passing out was the look of rage mixed with fear in his ice-blue eyes.


	12. chapter eleven :: observation

**Double Helix**

chapter eleven  
~ observation ~

* * *

Wings shined orange in the sunlight of the setting suns as it perched on her wrist. Steady violet eyes focused on the wasp as it ambled over one stitched. Then another.

She blinked and it paused, both regarded each other for long seconds with faint curiosity.

In a sudden flurry of motion, the wasp was airborne and moving away from her. Meryl watched it mindfully as it made its trek across the room to hover before a young woman. A teenager with long blond hair and pretty blue-violet eyes. The insect and girl gazed at each other for a span of several breaths before the girl finally lifted her hand to her face, gently pulled back the delicate skin near her eyeball and allowed the wasp to fly in.

With three quick blinks, the girl finally turned to look at Meryl, a slight smile gracing her features. "Nice try," she said.

Tired and emotionally drained eyes stared back at the girl before dropping their gaze to look at the stitches once more. Meryl could feel the girl's annoyed expression fall heavily upon her, but maintained her silent vigil over her wounded wrist.

"Next time you try to kill yourself, go for the jugular."

• • •

Conrad watched the plant out of the corners of his eyes as he paced the room in agitated silence. Sighing deeply, Knives ran his hand through his hair and turned his attention toward the world beyond his window. Just peeking above the horizon was the first moon, marking the end of a very long and stressful thirty-six hours since Meryl cut herself.

"I can't read her thoughts anymore," Knives said quietly, "Even now."

The doctor's eyebrows lifted slightly at the confession. That would explain Knives' tantrum upon finding the young woman the day before. The doctor couldn't say he was entirely surprised by Meryl's rash behavior. Humans were known for acting irrationally when their stress levels went beyond their ability to cope. If anything, Conrad was impressed that she was able to think clearly enough to cut herself the way she had.

She very nearly died, and Knives knew it.

Clearing his throat, Conrad stepped forward, "Since when have you not been able to read her mind?"

Knives placed both hands on the windowsill and leaned forward until his forehead rested against the glass. "I don't know for how long. I usually ignore her. Her thoughts are so... loud. Obtrusive." The plant clenched his jaw. "I heard her so clearly when she was planning to abort it, I knew what she was going to do before she even attempted it."

"But you didn't hear her this time," Conrad said.

Knives glanced back at the doctor in annoyance. "No, I did not." He paused as he turned something over in his mind, "It's changing her somehow."

The doctor smiled a bit, "I don't know about that. I haven't noticed any abnormal changes in her physically since it took root. Her body is reacting to it as it would to a human fetus. It shouldn't be affecting her like that."

"I know that," the plant turned to face the doctor fully, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm telling you, it's changing her somehow."

Dr. Conrad sighed and opened a file. He thumbed through a few pages and clicked his pen. "That nurse I told you about this morning should be arriving tomorrow." Blue ink wove its way across a blank page as Conrad took notes. "With her help," he continued, stabbing the page as he dotting an 'I', "I should be able to run an EEG on her in addition to her normal battery of tests. If I see anything suspicious, we'll look into it."

Knives chewed on his lip absently, a nervous habit the doctor recognized from when he was young. He nodded once at the doctor and began to exit the room before pausing in the doorway, "You will run an unltrasound, correct?"

"Of course."

"Good." Knives glanced back over his shoulder at the doctor, "I want to observe."

• • •

Still felt deeply troubled over his own suspicions, Knives felt frustration pooling in his gut, making his insides feel like thick and tense. The doctor did nothing to alleviate his anxiety. Not surprising, Conrad only volunteered his services out of pure scientific curiosity, he cared little about the seedling or the welfare of his sisters in general. Normally this didn't bother him, but the events of the day before had him on edge. Finding Meryl kneeling in a pool of her own blood with a gaping wound from wrist to elbow terrified him. He'd only experienced terror like that once before.

His first desire was to finish the job she started. How dare she betray him like that. How dare she try to undermine his plans, his goals!

He was angry with her. That was an obvious understatement. More than that, he was worried she would make another attempt. Without the ability to read her thoughts, she was a loose cannon. She would be more difficult to control. Someone would always have to be with her, watching over her. Zazie was already serving in that function and she would remain with Meryl until the very end.

Knives absolutely would not allow her another chance to finish what she started.

Fortunately, the seedling was fine. It appeared to have suffered no ill effects from its surrogate undergoing a massive loss of blood. In fact, it seemed to have suffered no ill effects at all. Had it been a human baby, Knives was certain it would have miscarried.

Glancing up, Knives realized he was steadily making his way toward Meryl's room. He spent most of the night and part of the day sitting in the chair beside her bed watching her sleep. He was convinced she would awaken and rip her own stitches out. Conrad assured him that even if she did wake she probably wouldn't have the strength to do such a thing. After all, she lost nearly half her blood volume. Even so, Knives knew different. Meryl wasn't like most humans. He'd seen enough of her inner-most mind to know that for a fact.

Meryl was stubborn and had a deeply ingrained sense of right a wrong. She saw the world more often in black and white than in shades of gray. Knives was like that, too. He was certain that had it been him in her place, he would rip his stitches out without a second thought. The only thing that would prevent him would be the resulting pain, but Meryl probably wasn't as sensitive to discomfort as he was. To ease his concern for the welfare of the seedling, he felt compelled to stay by her side. He watched her as she slept, probing her mind as often as he could, each attempt yielding failure.

Zazie was sitting quietly on the floor with her back against the wall when Knives entered the room. Brushing aside a beetle, she stood.

"Sir?" she asked.

Knives gave the girl a dismissive gesture as he stepped toward the comatose human. Her chest rose and fell in a relaxed slumber as a fresh IV bag dripped fluids into her body. She hadn't moved at all since Knives last saw her and her coloring was still to pale for his liking.

"Has she regained consciousness at all?" Knives asked, fingering the plastic IV bag.

Zazie glanced over at Meryl, "She did for a while not too long ago. At least, her eyes opened. She didn't seem to be very awake and she didn't say anything. After that, she went back to sleep again."

Relief fluttered through Knives' consciousness. She was showing signs of improvement. Finally. Perhaps he could enter her mind now? Knives brushed a lock of her hair aside as he placed his hand on her forehead. He pressed his consciousness gently against her own, seeking an entrance. Then pressed harder.

Nothing.

Fingers twitched as the free born plant tried to shake the distressed feeling that was settling in his heart. Being locked out of her consciousness was a hindrance to his plan. It was an unanticipated variable. How many more such variables would spring up over the coming months? And more importantly, would they hinder his goals in any way?

All at once, Meryl's eyes shot open and she peered at him, through him. The way she held him in her eyes bothered him on a subconscious level and he felt the urge to snap his hand away from her forehead and apologize like a reprimanded child. Knives carefully gave in to the urge and slowly pulled his hand from her face, watching her watch him. Seconds crawled by as neither being seemed willing to be the first to blink.

With careful movements, Knives settled himself into the chair beside her bed, not once breaking eye contact with her. Then as quickly as the moment came, it ended and Meryl's eyes drifted shut once more.

* * *

**AN:** Before anyone emails me or leaves a review about Zazie being female, let me remind you that this is set to occur around Vol. 6 of Trigun Maximum (in an AU universe, of course). Since I have Knives suffering from the Hair Darkening Effect (which occurs in Vol. 6), I figured it would only make sense to have Zazie be female. After all, in Vol. 5 we see him appear as a her for the first time... so for this fic, Zazie will be female, like she is in Vol. 5.

If I discover later that Zazie has gone back to being male again, I may change this fic to reflect that, but for now Zazie is a blond, teenage girl.

Sorry for any confusion.


	13. chapter twelve :: loathing

**Double Helix**

chapter twelve  
~ loathing ~

* * *

Meryl felt a headache coming on.

A big one.

She suffered frequent headaches since her captivity. Usually when she felt one coming on, she would curl up into a ball on the twin bed they provided for her and try to relax. If she was lucky, she'd manage to fall asleep and the headache would pass on its own.

Today Meryl was denied the option to rest. Zazie was as much babysitter as prison guard. She told her about the tests that needed to be done, procedures that had to be performed and samples that must be regularly taken.

Since her suicide attempt, Meryl wavered between despondency and indignation. Conrad blamed the hormones and traumatic stress. Knives blamed the simple insanity that defines humanity. Meryl didn't care what they thought. She lived one day to the next just trying to get by. Today her strategy was to offer the bare minimum of cooperation so that she could return to her suite as quickly as possible. Her plan worked fine — at least for a while.

Then _she_ arrived.

It was bad enough having to speak to Dr. Conrad about her _'condition,_' but now she had to deal with some medical assistant who liked to sing old Earth songs under her breath. She smiled constantly and oozed a cheerfulness that made Meryl's skin crawl. There was something about her that just seemed... sick. Demented. The more time the woman spent near Meryl, the more annoyed the little insurance girl became.

The nurse looked to be in her early sixties. She had a scar that ran from her left temple halfway down her cheek. It looked to have been from a cut she received as a young woman as it appeared to have faded significantly with age. She smiled like a school-girl at Meryl, wide and dimpling with a slightly embarrassed quality that looked very queer on the face of a woman almost forty years her senior.

Meryl didn't know what to make of the woman, other than the fact that she didn't like her. It wasn't until Dr. Conrad left the room that her behavior truly became odd.

The nurse was nervous. Not in a shy sort of way, but more as if she felt out-of-place in Meryl's presence. It reminded the insurance girl of how she felt the first time she met Mr. Bernardelli. It was then that she realized that the nurse regarded Meryl as someone of great importance. An icon.

"I need to put this on you," the nurse said as she lifted a green cap that had electrodes lining the interior. "Dr. Conrad wants an EEG done. It can be a little uncomfortable to wear, but it won't take long."

In a strangely motherly gesture, the nurse tucked a lock of hair behind Meryl's ear a moment before she forced the cap onto her head. The pressure of the electrodes against her scalp caused Meryl's headache to sing at full volume. The pain only helped to push her closer to the edge of losing her temper completely.

"Is this really necessary?" Meryl asked as she winced, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

"I'm sorry," the nurse said quickly. "It's what he wants." Offering a reassuring smile, the nurse finished adjusting the placement of the cap. "Please bear with it for a little longer. This test should only take an hour or two."

Meryl jerked in alarm when she felt sudden, intense pressure against her scalp. "Ow!" Glaring at the nurse, she caught sight of the needle in her hand. "What the _hell_ is that? What are you doing?"

The nurse glanced at the needle and back at her. "I'm injecting jelly into the electrodes," she showed Meryl the needle, "See? It's blunt."

"It sure as hell doesn't _feel_ blunt," she grumbled.

The nurse smiled again, the wideness of her grin threatening to split her face in half. "Have you ever had an electroencephalogram before?"

Violet eyes peered up at the older woman in obvious annoyance, "No, I have not."

"Oh, well... it is a very simple procedure. It measures your brain waves you know."

"I guessed that," Meryl said, voice heavy with sarcasm.

The nurse smiled happily, "Yes, it's a pretty simple procedure. I used to assist a neurologist who specialized in epilepsy a number of years ago. Then I requested pediatric neurology... and from there I got into obstetrics!" She beamed again, "A lot of shuffling around, but nurses are in very short supply. We get moved around a lot. I think it's providence. Don't you think so, Miss Stryfe?"

Meryl sighed and stared off into space, seemingly not paying any attention to the nurse. Undaunted, the woman continued her babbling, "After the EEG, we're going to take some samples and give you an ultrasound. We'll get to hear—"

"Who are you?" Meryl interrupted.

The woman faltered. "Dr. Conrad introduced me..."

"I was ignoring him. Who are you?"

The nurse's lips quirked downward for the first time since she entered the examination room. "My name is Angela Sanders."

"Why are you here?"

"Dr. Conrad asked for my assistance," Angela paused, head cocked to one side. "I'm perfectly qualified to assist with the seedling. I've been a nurse for over twenty years. I have pediatric and obstetric experience so you don't have to worry about—"

Meryl snorted, but said nothing.

"I-I've really looked forward to meeting you Miss Stryfe," Angela said, her voice reflecting her confusion. "It's such an honor to be here. I'm sure you're worried, but we're here for you. We've heard so much about you!"

"_We?_"

The nurse shifted her weight from one foot to the other, "My— my congregation."

Meryl narrowed her eyes at her.

"The Corinth Sect of the Body," Angela said.

"The... the _Body?"_

Meryl's question fell on deaf ears as the nurse continued, "You're aware of your status, aren't you? You're the Madonna! Everyone is talking about you. Everyone knows your name."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"The Body," The nurse scrunched her face at Meryl, "Aren't you... you're a member of the Body... aren't you?"

Meryl searched Angela's confused face carefully. "You're a cultist, aren't you?" she asked, "A plant worshiper?"

The nurse stood back from Meryl, a disturbed expression twisting her features.

"You are, aren't you?" she asked again.

Angela forced a polite smile as she recovered from her shock. "Oh, we don't like to be called that."

Meryl looked away from her. "Whatever," she mumbled quietly.

Angela scratched her head and eyed Meryl nervously. "You're really... not part of the Body?"

"No," Meryl answered impatiently, "I'm not part of your bizarre cult."

The nurse peered at her oddly for several seconds before clearing her throat and injecting jelly into the electrodes on Meryl's scalp, applying a bit more pressure than necessary the second time around.

"Dr. Conrad said you were moody."

Meryl snorted.

"I was moody, too, when I was pregnant," she said. "It's normal. It will get better."

Meryl rolled her eyes.

"You know what it is, don't you?" Angela asked. "You know about Lord Knives..?"

_'Of course, I know what that sick bastard is_,' Meryl thought with agitation. How could she _not_ know what he is?

Silence answered Nurse Sander's question. Even so, the older woman proceeded to explain to Meryl the true history of the plants and the origin of the twin free-born plants. The instant she spoke, Meryl could immediately hear the quality in her voice change. Angela was devout to the core. So much so, that Meryl had to wonder if Legato was controlling her. It just didn't seem possible for anyone, even a plant worshiper, to have so much respect and admiration for a genocidal maniac like Knives.

"Okay! We're ready to begin," she smiled as she fluffed Meryl's pillow. "Go ahead and lay back, please."

Meryl complied without a word. The nurse quickly and effectively began to strap Meryl to the table, careful not to jar her bandaged arm yet eying it with obvious displeasure. Meryl was certain the older woman was still sore about the cultist comment, but she didn't really care. A spade was a spade.

"Is it really necessary to strap me down?" Meryl asked.

The nurse checked her straps before giving a slight nod, "Yes, Lord Knives requested it. Are they too tight for you, Miss Stryfe?"

"It's fine," she mumbled, staring hard at the ceiling.

The nurse quickly busied herself with the task of neatly arranging the equipment Dr. Conrad would need for the examination. When she started to hum once more, Meryl finally spoke up.

"Will you _please_ not do that?"

The nurse looked at Meryl over her shoulder and flashed her fake smile again, "I'm sorry. Am I bothering you?"

An impatient exhale answered her question and the nurse returned to her tasks. A vein near Meryl's temple began to throb angrily. She was certain Knives was using the woman as a way to reprimand her for cutting herself. Surly the bastard had read her mind often enough to know how much people like Angela annoyed her. Strangely enough, no one had said anything about her suicide attempt. Not even Knives. She got into more trouble trying to abort the monster than she did for her suicide attempt. Then again, Knives had assigned her a baby-sitter. She was certain that most would agree that having to share your room with your prison guard certainly qualified as a form of punishment.

Meryl's eyes had just drifted shut when she heard the door open. The sound caused her to flinch and crane her neck to see who had entered the exam room. Ice-blue met violet in a cold stare and she felt her blood pressure suddenly spike. No one said a word as the plant angel regarded the petite human, then, with the barest of movements, Knives acknowledged her with a single nod. The gesture was as quick as it was strange and all Meryl could do was wonder at his peculiar behavior.

• • •

Somehow she managed to fall asleep during the EEG. They told her it would be best if she did, but they were unwilling to give her a sedative out of fear that it might hard the fetus. In spite of how uncomfortable the cap felt against her skill, Meryl napped for over an hour. She awoke to the unpleasant sensation of her hair being pulled as Angela worked the cap off of her head and muttered apologies under her breath.

By the time she was finished, Meryl felt worse than she did before the tests began. Eyes narrowed and jaw clenched, she ran a hand through her short, dark locks and felt the sticky remains of the electrode jelly caught in her hair.

"That will wash out," the nurse reassured her as she caught sight of Meryl trying to untangle her hair with her fingers. "Good news Miss Stryfe, we have one last test and then you can get some dinner and take a shower."

Angela offered Meryl a wide grin as she assessed her groggy patient.

"You slept pretty hard," the nurse remarked.

Meryl grunted in response.

"Being tired like that is normal. It'll get better," Angela said, then she offered the younger woman her hand. "Let's get you prepped before they get back."

With that, the nurse helped Meryl move to a different examination table. One with stirrups. The insurance girl was instantly reminded of her first exam since her capture and wondered if this was the same table they put her on then. The thought sickened her.

As Angela prepared her for her last exam for the day, Meryl couldn't stop staring at her bandaged arm. Never had she ever thought that her life would become so frighteningly out-of-control that she would rather be dead than to fight her way through it. She hadn't been raised to be a quitter, to give up when things got bad.

She wondered if her father had any idea just how bad things could be and if he would change his opinion of suicide if he could see her now. That thought almost made her laugh. If what Knives' lackeys said was true, then there was no one in her old life that believed her to still be alive.

Meryl turned her eyes to stare at the ceiling when she heard the door to the exam room open. She knew Knives was in the room. She didn't have to see him to know he was there. She could feel him, like the shiver of static electricity along her arms, but she would not look at him. At any of them.

Moments later, Dr. Conrad explained to Meryl what was about to happen, and then the exam began. Keeping her eyes focused on the ceiling, she did her best to block out their conversation as they discussed the thing growing inside her. Then the rhythmic sounds of the parasite's heartbeat filled her ears.

Hearing such a familiar, human-like sound coming from her womb disturbed her in ways she wasn't ready to think about. It was easy to think of it as a parasite - as a creature that was already stained with sin and evil. But at that moment, with the steady heartbeat of new life beating within her, Meryl's resolve experienced its first moment of weakness, and that frightened her.

'_No, no, no, no, NO! It's not a baby,_' she told herself as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. '_Not a baby! Not human. Not mine-!_'

"Do you want to see it, Meryl?" Dr. Conrad asked, as he turned off the fetal heart monitor and prepared to begin the ultrasound. She wasn't sure if he was being serious, patronizing or cruel by asking her that.

Forcing a tight smile, she politely declined his offer. When she looked away from the doctor, she caught sight of Knives watching her. His expression unreadable, but intense. He was the first to break eye contact when Conrad began to talk about the images appearing on the screen near the foot of the bed. She heard him ask a question, but she ignored it. The less she knew about the thing growing inside of her, the better. It would be easier that way.

"It does looks pretty big for only being twelve weeks," Angela said, her voice penetrating Meryl's stubborn attempt to block out their conversation. "Femur length suggests it's sixteen weeks... maybe seventeen."

"Indeed. Based on the measurements we took early on, it seems to be developing as expected," the doctor paused, "Can you get a clearer image of the cranium?"

"I'll try."

The nurse glided the transducer over her belly again and pressed firmly, causing Meryl to wince.

"It seems to be a little shy," the nurse said with a smile in her voice.

"Mmmm... well, I think we have what we need today. Let's give a listen to the fetal heart monitor and take another quick measurement." The doctor laughed to himself, "I think I wrote down the wrong numbers here, they seem too low. I want to verify this before we call it day. Is that acceptable to you, Knives?"

'_No!_' Meryl thought in alarm.

"Fine," Knives said.

Conrad gestured to the nurse, "Go ahead, Angela."

Heart racing, Meryl's eyes snapped open, "No! Leave it off."

The nurse's hand paused in midair as she glanced at Conrad. An inquisitive expression gleaming in his eyes, the doctor leaned toward his patient, "What's the problem?"

Meryl immediately recognized the tone of his voice. He was not asking because he cared about her, he was asking because he had a scientific curiosity.

"I... I don't like it," she said, her voice just beginning to shake.

The doctor peered at her intently. "Why?"

Meryl felt her eyes begin to fill with tears, suddenly unable to explain what she was feeling.

"It'll only be on for a moment," the doctor said as he straightened. "It won't hurt."

She felt a tear roll down the side of her face and vanish into her hair. "I... I want you... to leave it off," she choked.

Ignoring her, Dr. Conrad nodded to the nurse. She reached out and switched the fetal heart monitor on, filling the room with the sounds of unborn life. Meryl tried to bury her head into her pillow, wishing desperately for a way to block out the sounds.

She didn't want to think of it as being something with a human-sounding heartbeat. She didn't want to think of it as anything other than a parasite, a monster, a disease.

"Turn it off," Meryl whispered.

The doctor watched her reaction with interest. "In a few more seconds. I need to verify this data."

Tears came unabated and she hated herself for crying in front of them. She struggled in vain against her bonds, wanting to cover her ears with her hands.

Angela's expression became uncertain, "The heart rate is increasing."

Meryl wanted to curl into a ball and die at that moment. It wasn't a human inside of her. It was a damn plant! A monster! She was just an incubator for them, for _him_. It wasn't innocent. It would be just like Knives.

"Please," Meryl whispered. "Please turn it off."

She was going to die here. Her family and friends already thought her dead. She was dead to everyone that mattered to her. She was alone and completely at their mercy. And there was a _thing_ inside of her...

"Doctor?" Angela said, her voice taking on a note of fear. "It's still increasing. The fetus seems to be distressed..."

Meryl's body broke out in a cold sweat as her body began to shake from grief. She hated herself. Hated her body. A pained cry escaped her throat as she gasped for air between sobs. She couldn't even kill herself right.

A living-dead failure. A puppet.

When he self-loathing reached its peak, Meryl felt a cool hand against her forehead and the loud, authoritative voice of Knives filled her ears.

"Turn it off," he ordered. "Now!"

Silence engulfed her and Meryl came to the terrible realization that she was sobbing uncontrollably. Her rational mind filled her with shame as she heard herself sucking in as much air as her lungs could hold. She was starting to hyperventilate.

'_I've finally lost it,_' she thought. '_They're going to make me just as crazy as they are._'

"Calm down, Meryl."

A memory of darkness and pain suddenly flashed in her mind. The same voice and the same words that filled her ears now had filled her mind then. Meryl opened her eyes and looked up at the source of the voice, already knowing whom she would see. Unwavering and intense ice-blue eyes stared back at her causing her to shiver under the weight of his stare.


	14. chapter thirteen :: the games we play

**Double Helix**

chapter thirteen  
~ the games we play ~

* * *

He expected aversion since Vash outed him to Milly. He was prepared for it. In fact, his sense of penitence demanded it. He hated it, but he knew he deserved it. What bothered him was the ongoing strangeness of Vash's behavior.

He was different now. More angry, more obsessive... Vash was starting to remind Wolfwood of Knives.

Originally, the free-born plant's motivation for finding Meryl was to rescue her. As Vash came to understand the scope of what was being done to her, his purpose began to change. It was obvious that the broom-head was fond of the little brunette. He liked to tease her, he liked to piss her off from time to time, but he didn't love her. Not like she seemed to love him. From what Wolfwood observed, the more Vash learned about Knives' plans, the more obsessed he became of finding his brother_._

Saving the little insurance girl was still a priority, but more than that, Vash simply wanted to stop Knives. He wanted to make up for the times when he could have stopped him, permanently, but didn't. And because of that, Meryl was suffering now. Rarely did Vash mention Meryl at all. It was always Milly who expressed worry for her kidnapped partner. It was Milly who visibly struggled with feelings of grief, anger and hopelessness.

The change in Vash hadn't crystallized in Wolfwood's mind until three days ago when Milly was injured. Wolfwood blamed the plant for Milly getting shot, but it was clear he was the only one who felt that way. Vash acted so impassive about the whole thing, it took all of Wolfwood's self control not to shoot him, too. Even three days later the bastard was still acting as though what happened wasn't a big deal.

If it had been any other man, if the circumstances had been different, Wolfwood would have beaten the nimrod senseless. The temptation to do just that was nearly overwhelming, but acting on that impulse would only turn Milly against him more than she already was.

He _hated_ the fact that she hated him. It grieved him deeply to know that he had hurt her. Even worse was the way she was distancing herself from him. She only referred to him as 'Chapel' now. She barely looked him in the eyes anymore, and when she did...

Wolfwood sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He'd never gain forgiveness for this.

Never.

The priest inhaled a lung full of smoke and felt his nerves settle as the nicotine hit his system. It didn't matter anyway. Even if Wolfwood had stopped her, Knives still would have found a way to take her. Milly would still be distressed over the abduction of her friend and she would still be hurt to discover that he was a Gung-ho Gun.

The sound of laughter caught his attention and Wolfwood's eyes wandered toward a group of children at play. He watched them run and chase each other with smiles and shouts and felt himself begin to relax for the first time in days. A pained smile graced the priest's face as he enjoyed their blissful innocence.

As much as he hated for it to be true, Legato was right about humanity. Every one of them was a sheep being lead to the slaughter and many of them didn't need to be guided to the butcher's blade. Even so, Wolfwood still found that he cared about them. As ugly and loathsome as some people could be, it was at times like this, when he could watch children laugh and play, that he remembered that there was still some hope for the future. Children always gave him hope... perhaps even plant-children.

After all, no one was born corrupt.

The plant growing in Meryl's womb wasn't a threat. At least not yet. The unborn life could easily grow up to be a loving, forgiving being. The plant could easily grow up to be something to be loved rather than feared, but such an outcome was unlikely if Knives was the sole influence in its life.

_'If Meryl could raise it,_' Wolfwood thought as he took a drag of his cigarette, '_things might be different._"

The chance of that happening were slim to none, and he knew it. Meryl would not survive the birth. If the plant infant didn't kill her, Knives surely would. Until then, she served as both surrogate and bait.

There was no doubt that Knives wanted Vash to come back to him, to see the world through his genocidal eyes. Everything Knives did always seemed to have _something_ to do with his brother. Knives once even referred to his twin as 'a lost lamb' and expressed his desire to 'right his wrongs' and 'undo what Rem had done.'

Wolfwood often thought that Knives vastly underestimated his twin if he believed Vash to be so childish. The priest doubted Knives ever dreamed that his "lost lamb" would become so desperate that he would force a Plant Angel to tell him what was going on. Even Wolfwood was shocked when he found out what Vash had done. The plant angels are all thinking, feeling beings to forcibly enter their mind like that is probably the equivalent of rape to them.

Then there was the fact that Vash knew where Wolfwood's true loyalties were all along, yet he still allowed him to tag along. It didn't make any sense - that is until he remembered an old earth saying he heard once, _'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.'_

Smart.

It was obvious that Vash was far more resourceful and clever that anyone gave him credit.

The sound of a woman calling for her son interrupted Wolfwood's thoughts and brought his attention back to the children playing a few yarz away. They stretched out their game as long as they could, then they broke apart and headed home. The dinner hour was quickly approaching and it would soon be dark.

Soon only one child remained as he dilly-dallied in the dust, poking at some insect that piqued his interest. An insistent call brought his head up in alert and he called back to the voice before hunching down and scooping the insect up into his hand. Very carefully, the boy stored the bug in his pocket before sprinting home to his waiting mother. Wolfwood smirked as he wondered how many times his mother found bugs in her son's pants when doing the laundry.

With a sigh, the priest stood and dusted himself off as thoughts of a warm meal and a decent bed filled his mind. He pulled a cigarette out of his breast pocket and paused long enough during his walk back to the hotel to light it.

Grudgingly, Wolfwood had to admit that he felt thankful that Vash had finally listened to him. The priest had insisted that they spend the night in a hotel rather than try to sleep in the car. Again. Milly needed the extra rest to help her wound to properly mend, especially if Vash wanted her help against Knives.

The memory of how Milly got that wound caused Wolfwood to grimace as a familiar spark of anger flashed within him.

Six bounty hunters showed up looking for the legendary outlaw and wreaking havoc in the last town they had traveled through three days ago. One by one, they targeted Vash. Milly did her best to help deter them, but in the end it was Wolfwood who had to stop them.

When four of the bounty hunters were occupying their attention, another one started to shoot at Milly. The priest saw the glint of a gun barrel out of the corner of his eye and was able to shout a warning just in time. Vash's quick reflexes disabled the shooter, but the plant made the mistake of not finishing what he started. Because of that, Milly was hit near the top of her shoulder when a second bullet was fired.

All Wolfwood saw was her blood. Without thinking, he finished the job Vash would not. Four bullets later, Wolfwood put an end to the immediate threat when Vash finally stopped him, allowing the remaining two to flee from the scene.

Incensed, Wolfwood turned on Vash, wanting to punch the idiot for letting Milly get hurt. He could remember the strange look on Vash's face that showed neither anger nor remorse over Milly's injury. Only that now familiar look of irritation reflected in the free-born plant's green eyes.

Wolfwood couldn't remain silent. He screamed at Vash, demanding to know what he was thinking and how could he be so careless. All Vash had to say was, "You've over-reacting. You didn't have to do that."

"What? Like hell I didn't!" Wolfwood raged, "Did you happen to notice that Milly got shot?"

The free-born plant glanced back at the woman as she held her wounded shoulder. He sighed and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "She'll be fine. It is a superficial wound. Besides, they weren't sent to capture or kill me. I think they were sent to test you."

The priest could only stare at Vash incredulously, his mouth hung open as his mind tried to process what he heard.

"Do you think you passed, Chapel?"

Wolfwood stomped out his cigarette angrily as he remembered the way Milly had pulled away from him when he went to check on her wound. The priest could live the rest of his days with Vash hating him and not care, but the thought of Milly hating him made him sick to his stomach. He would do anything for her.

Anything.

"I have a message for you, Chapel," a voice said from somewhere in the darkness.

Wolfwood stopped in mid-step, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as a chill went down his spine. He knew at once who was speaking to him, but his insides clenched in fear to find out exactly what.

Slowly turning, Wolfwood tried to mentally prepare himself for the messenger Legato had chosen for himself. The sight of a small boy looking back at him made his stomach lurch sickly. Brown eyes dull and lifeless, the boy looked no older than seven. Blood flowed freely from his sinuses, dripping from his small chin and staining his shirt. He smiled oddly at Wolfwood, exposing his missing front baby teeth. Wolfwood immediately recognized the corpse as being one of the children he had seen playing just a few minutes before and he had to force himself not to step back from the thing.

Swallowing down his peaking emotions, Wolfwood forced himself to remain calm. He knew Legato had chosen a child specifically to serve as a reminder to Wolfwood, as if he needed the grotesque reminder to begin with.

Wolfwood clenched his jaw as he spoke, "What is your message, Legato?"

"A few more weeks of stalling, then you may bring him to us. He is not to waste any of his energy unnecessarily."

"Promise me her safety first," Wolfwood said in a rush.

The boy's smile disappeared and his head suddenly flopped to one side unnaturally, "Her safety? The blessed one is perfectly safe."

"Stop being so damn cryptic," he snapped. "I'm talking about Milly and you know it."

"Of course," he said as his head slowly righted itself. A broad grin appeared on his face, "That one is no longer useful. If she valued her life, she should have left weeks ago. She will only get in the way if she remains in your company. She needs to be dealt with. You should have let her be killed."

A ripple moved through Wolfwood as he felt his delicate sense of control begin to slip. "If I bring him to you and let him go, I want you to leave her unharmed."

"If I do not promise her safety you will refuse His orders?"

Wolfwood knew Legato was setting him up, and he glared at the corpse. "I serve only Him."

The child's smile grew and his tongue rolled out to lick his lips in a very Legato-like manner. "So loyal. You realize that he will find his way home with or without you, don't you? It would greatly please the Master if you were the one to deliver him at the appropriate time."

"You underestimate him."

The boy laughed with Legato's voice, the action causing more blood and gore to spill out of his nose and mouth. "He is the one who underestimates the Master. I think you underestimate him as well."

Wolfwood shifted from one foot to the other and sighed irritably. Legato's linear thinking is what made him the perfect servant for Knives, but it also made him damn aggravating to work with. "If Milly is no longer useful you have no reason to hurt her."

The boy rolled his eyes in an exaggerated gesture, "Fine, fine," the boy nodded as a chunk of something resembling brain tissue plopped from his nose. "Keep your whore, just bring him by the 22nd week."

* * *

**AN: ** Full term for a human is 40 weeks. Keep that in mind, kids. ~_^


	15. chapter fourteen :: Canaan

**Double Helix**

chapter fourteen  
~ Canaan ~

* * *

The subterranean room that housed part of the plant chamber was always kept too dark for Conrad's tastes. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness before he could make out Knives' nude silhouette floating upside down in the plant chamber, his back facing the glass. Conrad knew the free-born plant was completely aware of his presence, but he made no move to acknowledge the doctor's arrival. Clearing his throat, the human decided to get right to the point.

"The EEG we ran on the subject yielded nothing unusual."

Silence hung in the air for long moments as the plant slowly righted himself. "Buuut..."

"But, her blood work came back with some interesting results."

The plant still did not look at him. Conrad stepped further into the room. "There were dynamicytes present."

A twitch and the doctor knew he had the plant's full attention.

"Dynamicytes?" Knives asked, his distorted voice echoing oddly from within the plant core. "From the seedling?"

"No, their circulatory systems don't intermingle. The placenta prevents that. Nutrients go in, waste comes out," Conrad offered a ghost of a smile. "No, I believe that the dynamicytes are hers._"_

The plant finally turned around. He faced the doctor with a rare expression of perplexity as he slowly made his way toward the edge of the core. Peering at the doctor intently, he asked, "How is that possible? She lacks the glands needed to create dynamicytes."

"I don't know, but I think you're right. Somehow, the seedling is changing her. I can't explain how," the doctor grinned and shook his head, "but she's really putting a spin on all my theories."

Knives' expression became introspective as he considered this new discovery. The existence of dynamicytes in her blood was disturbing, but also miraculous. She truly was the perfect surrogate. The irony would have been amusing had his thoughts not centered on an unspoken hope that he might be able to use her again. There might be the possibility of more... a dynasty... an entire generation of free-born planets...

Knives grinned, ice-blue eyes dancing happily. "There's more, isn't there? Tell me."

"She won't cooperate," the doctor said. "I'm sure she is experiencing other symptoms, but she won't tell us. There are several tests I would like to run but can't because they may harm the fetus."

In an instant, Knives' expression turned dark. "You will _not_ do to her what you parasites did to Tessla. No tests."

"Even blood and urine samples?" Conrad asked, already knowing what the plant meant.

"Don't be obtuse," he growled. "She probably hates you as much as I do and rightly so. You're a traitor to your species and a butcher to mine."

"I'm a scientist."

"I'm not interested in hearing your rationalizations, Conrad. Continue."

"I was told that the morning sickness has passed," he said as he glanced over his notes. The annoyed expression he wore remained firmly in place as he spoke, "Zazie also made it a point to tell me that Meryl is growing increasingly clumsy and often complains about her skin feeling strange... 'sensitive.' There is nothing odd about that. Many women experience similar symptoms during pregnancy, but I asked Meryl about it anyway. She refused to elaborate other than to confirm that she no longer woke up in the middle of the night due to her nausea and her appetite has increased. Again, normal."

"Did you tell her about the dynamicytes you found in her blood sample?"

"No," Conrad said. "I thought it would upset her."

"Wise decision," Knives pushed himself away from the edge of the core. "I'll tell her myself when the time comes."

• • •

A shadow suddenly loomed over Meryl as she raised her fork heavy with food to her waiting lips. Her hand paused in midair for a second before finishing its journey to her mouth. She was not about to let him spoil her lunch.

"I have a gift for you, sister."

The muscles in Meryl's back suddenly tightened, "I don't want it."

Legato smirked behind her, his strangely gentle voice filling the room once more as Zazie placed his gift, a well-worn book, on the table near her plate. "It will help you to understand your place. You only need to read it, understanding will come."

Meryl slammed her fork down on the table when she read the text on the cover of the book.

"You let your pride keep you from seeing the truth," he continued.

"What pride?" Meryl asked as she turned in her chair to face Legato. The shock of seeing him in a coffin had long passed. Now he was just another freak who wanted something from her. "I'm treated like livestock here. Poked and prodded like a damn lab rat. How can I possibly have any pride left to keep me from seeing this so-called truth? That the plants are gods?_"_

"Yes, _pride._ I don't think you understand exactly what pride is. You had enough pride to try to kill the blessing within you. You had enough pride to tear open your arm. You have enough pride to resist His will even now." Legato paused as he studied her face. "I am trying to help you."

Voice doubtful, she leveled him with a glare. "Really? Help me how?"

"Help you to see the truth," he said. "Help you to survive."

Meryl snorted, "Ah! I see. Now you're trying to help me. Well, why don't you confirm this for me then, just so we're both clear on exactly _what_ the truth is, okay?"

Legato inclined his head toward her, waiting.

"The truth is I'm nothing more than an incubator and once I'm done being an incubator, I'm going to die." Expression tight with anger, her hand moved over the roundness of her belly. The gesture seemed almost protective. "Isn't that right?"

A small smile filtered across Legato's face as he peered down at his cousin, "I know you don't fear death, but I also know you have a strong will to live. You are a fighter. That is where most of your pride takes root, but you need to choose your fights wisely. You can live if you want to. You can live as long as you are useful to Him."

Meryl snorted and picked up her fork. She stabbed at her food angrily. "Why do you care about my usefulness to him?"

"I care about the plants."

"Of course," she mumbled dryly.

"I resisted my call to service in the beginning, too though my reasons were much different than yours."

The woman chewed her food, pointedly ignoring the psychic cripple behind her.

"You don't have to die," he continued. "You're already showing signs of a miracle. You can—"

"Did Knives send you here to pester me?" Meryl asked hotly.

She felt him smile behind her. "No."

Fatigue welled up inside her as she swallowed the last of her meal. Fears about the future plagued her enough. She didn't need to discuss the subject with someone as bizarre as Legato. "Could you just... leave me alone?" she asked quietly, "Please?"

Silence fell between them as Meryl waited. She didn't turn to look at him, opting instead to stare at the crumbs on her plate, fingers pulling at the hem of her shirt absently.

"You don't have to die, Meryl," he said, his voice almost kind. "We will speak of this another time."

• • •

"He's got to be here."

"But... how can you be so sure?"

Vash pressed his lips together and pointed at the map again, "No one lives in this area of the southern crash zone. It's a graveyard, right? The nearest water source is over..." the plant paused and squinted at the map, "387 iles away. Anything of any worth has already been salvaged from the zone so there is no reason for any human to live there. It's thought to be the most barren part of this barren planet."

Milly bit her lip. "But if we're wrong..."

He sighed and glanced at her, causing her to pause in mid sentence. "Look, I know my brother and I _know_ he's there."

Milly nodded as she lowered her eyes to study the map once more. The blond gunman spent the last few weeks brooding over various items, clues and references that she would have considered unimportant to their search. To Vash there was no detail too minute to ignore.

She knew he was the only one who would be able to locate Meryl, but she couldn't help but to feel curious about what was thinking. He had become something of a recluse, only speaking when he had to and not volunteering any information unless asked a direct question. Even then, he had a tendency to be vague.

Milly couldn't 'read' him as well as she used to and was often surprised by his attitude and mood swings. The only thing consistent about Vash these last few months was his unyielding obsession with finding Knives and Meryl. However, she felt there was more to his need to find them than just going to the aid of a dear friend in need.

Something else was driving him. Something she couldn't put her finger on yet.

Vash wasn't the type of person who wanted to be alone all the time. His sense of guilt and duty was what drove him to behave like a loner, but that wasn't a reflection of his true nature. Therefore, when the plant started to lock himself away and shut people out, Milly couldn't help but worry.

Prompted by her concerns, she finally asked him to tell her what was going on. When he looked at her with suspicion-filled eyes, she couldn't help but to feel a little offended. His eyes softened after she made a remark about trust and friendship, but he remained guarded.

Even so, he still pulled her aside and told her about a place his brother called, 'Canaan.'

Shortly thereafter, the two of them went to the nearest general store and purchased the best map they could find. Since then, the two of them spent several minutes discussing Vash's theory about where his brother could be located.

Milly was having a difficult time keeping up with the outlaw. He seemed certain about where his twin was. He acted as though the revelation came on high and was therefore, glaringly obvious. Milly trusted Vash. She trusted his judgment, but it still worried her that they didn't have any definite proof.

It was just a hunch. A very well thought-out hunch, but still a hunch.

Milly worried that if they went to this place and found it to be empty they would have wasted even more time trying to find Meryl. Time they did not have.

But, Vash seemed so confident, so certain. It was moments like those that Milly longed for Meryl's presence. She could always deal with stuff like this so much easier than her. She was so intelligent. So logical. Milly just wasn't gifted like that. She could certainly understand people much better than her partner could, and normally that was enough, but Vash was acting differently now... she just couldn't read him like she once could. Still, she trusted Vash. She didn't have a reason not to.

"Alright." Milly conceded, "Are we going to bring Chapel?"

Vash straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, "Yes, definitely. I don't expect much out of him but I want to keep an eye on him. I know he's not telling us everything."

Milly's eyes drifted down to study the map once more as she idly scratched her mending shoulder. Contemplative silence hung between them for several moment, each individual trying hard not to let their worst fears get the best of them.

Meryl had been gone for five months. Most of that time had been spent either trying to avoid the sudden increase of bounty hunters on Vash's trail or trying to figure their way out of one dead end after another. With each passing day, their optimism deflated little by little. Maintaining a hopeful attitude was becoming increasingly difficult. Everything Milly knew about Knives' plans created a knot in her belly that whispered her worst fears: _the situation is too far-gone... you're already too late..._

Vash's quiet voice broke the silence, interrupting Milly's morose thoughts, "I don't think you should arm yourself with just your stun gun, Milly. You still can't quite aim it properly."

She glanced over at him in surprise, "My aim is improving everyday."

"I know," he paused, looking at her closely, "You can shoot a revolver, can't you? Or better yet, a semi-automatic pistol?"

"I haven't shot a gun with live rounds in years," Milly admitted somewhat sheepishly. "My father and a couple of my older brothers collect guns and we all learned how to shoot at a pretty young age. I needed to have something for defense for this line of work, but I just never liked to carry a loaded weapon so my father bought me my first stun gun."

She smiled a bit at the memory, "Gee, that was almost three... no, four years ago."

The plant sighed, "But you're comfortable using one, right?"

"Oh yes! I'm out of practice, but I was a decent shot."

"Good," Vash said solemnly, "I think it would be best if you were armed with a lethal weapon. I know someone who can probably sell us a quality gun for a good price. Besides, they're going to expect you to come with just your stun gun and I think it would be good to surprise them a bit, don't you?"

• • •

A thump against her belly woke Meryl out of a dead sleep. Her first groggy thoughts were of Zazie. Some of the insects that composed the hive were probably crawling all over Meryl as she slept.

It wouldn't be the first time such a thing has happened since Zazie had been assigned to watch over her. Many a night found Meryl roused to wakefulness due to the feeling of creepy-crawlies moving across her flesh. Each time Zazie would claim it to be an accident.

Meryl was finally getting to the point where the sensation was more bothersome than disturbing. After living with Zazie for so many weeks, the little human had no real choice but to adjust to the alien nature of her assigned roommate lest she really start to go mad.

Zazie looked, felt, sounded and even smelled like any other human. If you were to touch her skin it felt as real and normal as the skin of any other human. Even so, Zazie was _not_ human. Meryl doubted they even had a name for what Zazie was.

She seemed to be a hive of a multitude of insects.

As such, some insects were active at night, some during the day. Therefore, Zazie never really slept as a human did. She simply didn't need to. Some part of her strange body was always active and that activity often meant there were insects crawling around the room at any given time during the day or night.

Meryl rolled over on her side, facing away from where Zazie lay on the cot beside her bed. Exhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and tried to force herself to relax. Muscles grew slack as sleep began to overtake her once more when she felt the same strange fluttering again, this time more pronounced. Violet eyes opened to darkness as Meryl waited for the sensation to repeat itself, already knowing she did not feel an insect. A moment later, the movement occurred again. Biting her lip, she rested her hand against her swollen belly. Logic instantly told her what the sensation was, but she still hoped she had somehow imagined it.

With a sudden jolt, Meryl snapped her hand away from her belly. The sensation of the seedling within her sent her heart racing. Tears instantly stung at her eyes as she curled up into a tight ball. Since hearing it's heartbeat she was having an increasingly difficult time rationalizing that the thing inside of her was a monster. On more than one occasion, she caught herself referring to it as a "baby" in her thoughts regardless of how much she tried not to.

"Meryl," Zazie said softly.

The little human squeezed her eyes shut as she quickly tried to compose herself.

"Meryl, what are you doing?"

The distrust in Zazie's voice was evident and Meryl quickly rolled over to face her. "Nothing. I just have some... indigestion I think. I don't think dinner really agreed with me tonight."

The hive looked at her oddly, her eyes shining in the darkness. "Are you okay? Do you need the doctor or something?"

"N-no... I'm fine. It's starting to go away now I think."

Zazie tilted her head to one side as she peered at the petite human for several seconds. Lips pressed together thoughtfully, she assessed her.

"Really," Meryl insisted. "I'm fine."

The hive clenched her jaw and then nodded before settling herself back down onto her cot. "Go back to sleep then."

"I will," Meryl whispered as she gently stroked her belly, unconsciously encouraging the movement within.

* * *

**AN:** Dynamicytes are something I made up. It will be explained in a later chapter... ~_^


	16. chapter fifteen :: dicotomy

**AN:** Doing some major rewriting from this point forward. Actually, from this chapter forward.

Just FYI.

July 14, 2010

* * *

**Double Helix**

chapter fifteen  
~ dichotomy ~

* * *

Wolfwood was nervous.

They were too early, Vash had located Knives far too soon.

Jaw clenched, Wolfwood rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to ease his tense muscles. Doing his best to hide his unease from the others, the priest was certain they both noticed. Fortunately, neither said anything.

Closing his eyes, Wolfwood did his best to distance himself from his anxiety. Frustration was wearing away at his balance of calm. No matter how hard he tried to relax, the more his worries persisted. Echoes of a past conversation revolving around underestimating an opponent came floating to the forefront of the priest's mind.

He could not escape the memory of an animated corpse repeating Legato's words.

Would Legato keep his end of the deal if they showed up a full two weeks early? Wolfwood doubted it. Legato served Knives with all of his being. He only showed mercy if Knives instructed him to do so.

Certainly Knives _had_ to know they were coming... surely Vash didn't think this would be a surprise visit...

They wouldn't kill Vash and Wolfwood didn't care if he lived or died. Milly was the expendable one. They would certainly target her, especially now. Asking for her to be spared made his attachment to the girl far too obvious. They'd kill her simply to punish him.

Wolfwood stared off into the night with a grimace. He was developing an ulcer. He was certain of it.

Things were _not _looking good.

• • •

Night-time travel was the most comfortable way to go, but it could also be the most unnerving.

Milly normally didn't mind the darkness. It was cool and relaxing and often very pretty. Ever since she was a child, she always gazed up at the night sky with a smile on her face. The twinkling of the stars and moons always felt special to her. Magical. Cheery.

Lately, the night sky no longer seemed to inspire such gaiety. The closer they came to the place called Canaan, the less she enjoyed the calm stillness of night. The dark hours felt almost malevolent to her now.

Even so, the blackness did offer Milly the cool quiet she needed to regain her strength. Sleeping in the daytime was a difficult task with the harshness of sunlight.

Besides, the daylight hours were better spent practicing with her new gun.

Milly was surprised at how comfortable the weapon felt in her hand. It was a top-of-the-line replica of the .45 HK Mark 23, a military combat gun used back on Earth. It had been expensive, but Vash insisted she buy it when he saw it in her hands.

"It suits you," he said simply, and then offered to split the cost of the weapon and five additional clips with her. She didn't know how he was able to tell that the gun was a good match for her after only seeing her hold it once, but once she fired it for the first time she had to agree with his assessment.

The gun _did_ suit her.

It was a handsome looking weapon. Her older brothers would probably love it. The HK Mark 23 carried ten rounds per clip and was easily concealed behind her back. Her only complaint was with the holster. No matter how she tried to adjust the fit, it still tended to dig into the small of her back.

She liked the weapon, she just wished she didn't have to need it. Using a weapon with live rounds disturbed her. She didn't like using lethal force. All life was precious, but Vash told her it would be unwise to be without it.

He said that even after Milly expressed her distaste regarding lethal force.

The seriousness of his tone and the hard look in his eyes left the insurance girl speechless. She wanted to ask the free-born plant about his sudden decision that she should arm herself with a lethal weapon, but was afraid to ask. The thought of hearing him say something along the lines of, "You need it in case you have to kill someone" disturbed her deeply. Far more than the idea of killing someone out of self-defense.

Vash was a changed man.

It was like the very essence of who he was as an individual was wasting away. There were moments when Milly would catch a small glimpse of the old Vash, but those moments were few and far between. The agent was certain that once everything was said and done, the humanoid typhoon would never be the same again.

• • •

"Wait a damn minute, will you?" Meryl yelled, not caring if she angered the man dragging her down the hall. "Where the _hell_ are you taking me?"

The little human was tripping over herself trying to keep up with him. Her center of gravity was beginning to shift due to the quick growth of the seedling. The additional weight caused Meryl to feel uncoordinated and clumsy and she cursed herself for her inability to struggle with more tenacity.

"Bastard!" she hissed as she yanked against him.

The free-born plant pulled back with an equal amount of force and she stumbled forward. The sudden jolt caused her to bite the inside of her cheek. Blood filled her mouth, further igniting her temper.

"Let go of me you freak!"

The grip around her wrist grew painful and she swore under her breath. The bastard was ignoring her. Using her free hand, Meryl tried to pry his fingers loose.

"Damn it, Knives," she yelled. "Let go of me! You're hurting me!"

He paused then, just long enough to look at her to see if what she claimed was really true. Glancing down at her wrist, he saw her flesh was marred by the tightness of his grip and he relented just enough to allow her blood to flow freely again. Then his eyes met hers. Meryl saw a strange, reproachful expression cross his features. There was uncertainty there, too, but everything quickly disappeared as stubbornness flattened the lines of his face leaving him stoic.

The next thing she knew, he was carrying her, bridal style. The sudden closeness caused Meryl's heart to hammer in her chest and all protests to die in her throat. He had touched her before, but only when he absolutely had to. And when he did, he did so grudgingly. Now he was carrying her, cradling her against his chest as though she was the most delicate thing in the world. The contrast between the way he had been yanking on her before and the odd tenderness now left her reeling in confusion.

As he moved down the maze of hallways, they entered an area of the building that Meryl did not recognize. The less familiar her surroundings became, the more nervous she felt.

"Wh- where are you taking me, Knives?" she finally asked, sotto voce.

His strides didn't waiver. Nor did he spare her a glance. She wondered for a moment if he even heard her.

"Knives?" she repeated, her voice an octave louder.

"Quiet," he ordered.

The hallways became more narrow the further they went and Meryl realized that they were heading underground. All she could think about were the possible horrors that lie ahead. She couldn't let Knives lead her there without a fight, even if it was one she knew she could not win.

"N- no!" she choked out as memories of past procedures and encounters came roaring to the forefront of her mind. "Where are you taking me? What are you going to do to me?"

His silence mocked her and she swallowed hard. She should have demanded answers when he first woke her, but she had been far too groggy to think clearly. It didn't seem strange to her that Knives was in her suite and yelling at her to get up. It should have, she realized as she thought back to the moment, but all she could think of at the time was that he was angry at her for oversleeping.

Barely standing and still in her nightshirt, Knives dragged her from the room while barking orders to Zazie as they left. His unusual haste warned her that Knives was not taking her to her weekly medical exam and her mind immediately began to clear from its sleepy haze. The further into the compound they went, the more certain she was that something was horribly wrong. His prolonged silence and obvious tension only amplified her fear and before she knew it, Meryl was struggling against him.

That is until he picked her up.

Now she was compensating for her sense of powerlessness and fear by yelling at him.

"Where's that bastard doctor of yours?" she demanded. "What kind of sick experiments do you have for me today, you sadistic lowlife?"

Ice-blue eyes narrowed dangerously, "I told you to be quiet."

"Or else what?" she asked, feeling usually confident for being in the arms of a genocidal maniac. "You'll hurt me? You'll _kill_ me? Too late for that now, isn't it?"

"You would do well to follow my instructions," Knives bit out, his arms tensed, inadvertently drawing her closer to his chest.

Violet eyes narrowed at him. "Like hell."

"What do you hope to gain by insubordination, Meryl?"

She scoffed at him, outraged by the insinuation. "Insubordination? I'm not one of your lackeys, Knives! I'll never have this baby. I'll kill her or myself the first chance I get!"

Knives' expression suddenly changed from anger to amusement and he smirked at her. His sudden shift threw Meryl off balance and he laughed at her. The sound of it grated against her nerves. Searching her memory for the cause of his amusement, she was horrified to remember her words.

_'I called it a baby! I called it a baby in front of Knives!'_

Her face burned with regret and she desperately wanted to take back what she said. Meryl opened her mouth to undo the damage as best she could, when Knives caught her gaze and smirked at her. His eyes dancing with arrogant amusement.

"You are pathetic," he told her. "You had your chance to kill your 'baby' and failed. This is the most fulfilled your life has ever been and most likely ever would be. You led a sad existence before I choose you and would have for the rest of your pitiful life had _I_ not intervened. Consider yourself blessed."

He set her on her feet then, his lips still pulled back into an arrogant smirk. "We're far enough to be safe. You can manage on your own now." Turning away from her, he continued down the corridor. Then he turned his face toward her, peering at her from the corners of his eyes, "Don't dally. I won't carry you so nicely next time."

Meryl remained where she stood for several seconds, her mind repeating his words through her consciousness as her body trembled in anger.

'_How dare he,_' she thought, her blood surging with adrenaline. '_How DARE he!_'

Hands balled into fists, she started to walk after him. Her pace quickening as her rage mounted. Before she knew it she was rushing toward him prepared to do whatever it took to make him hurt as much as he hurt her. She didn't slow or pause when he spun around to look at her and prepared himself for her body to slam against his.

Meryl threw her weight against him and was surprised when they both toppled to the floor in a tangle of limbs. She didn't hesitate in her efforts to cause him pain as she tried repeatedly to punch and claw whatever was within reach. She vaguely realized that between her feeble attempts to punish him, she had begun to scream out her grief.

"How could you do this to me? I don't want to die! I don't want _to be_ this!_"_

Sobs choked off her words and she hung her head in defeat, her body shaking from emotional overload. Knives didn't move from beneath her. Meryl was too focused on trying to regain control over herself that she barely noticed how she was straddling his middle and clutching at his chest.

She was _so_ tired. Tired of being afraid, tired of always feeling intimidated, tired of the way her body felt because of the thing they put inside her, tired of her constant mood swings and nightmares and weird cravings and everything else. She just wanted one moment of peace. One moment to catch her breath and feel normal again.

Licking her lips, she opened her mouth to speak even as the rational part of her mind begged her not to. She knew better than to expose her weakness, but the words tumbled out of her faster than her brain could stop her tongue from working.

"My family thinks I'm dead. Everyone I love, you want to destroy," she whispered, voice broken. "And you're using me to do it. Why me, Knives? _Why?_"

Meryl stared at a spot on the floor in a futile attempt to avoid looking him in the eyes, but she felt the intensity of his gaze regardless. His silence did nothing to deter her from speaking her heart.

"I'm more than this," she continued. "I'm more than just your incubator. You think I'm worthless but I'm not."

She felt Knives twitch ever so slightly beneath her and she remembered his words, _You _are_ pathetic._

"I'm _not_," she said fiercely, more to herself than him. Courage flowed through her and she met Knives' ice-blue gaze without flinching, "You're going to teach her to be just like you, aren't you, Knives? You're going to maker her hate humanity and you're going to use her like you're using me, aren't you?"

Knives' lips drew together in a tight line. He said nothing as he carefully untangled himself from her and stood, leaving Meryl crumpled on the floor.

"I won't let you," she murmured.

Knives ignored her. He couldn't allow her tantrum to distract him from what lay ahead.

"I won't."

Sighing irritably, he reached down and took hold of her upper arm, pulling her to her feet in one swift motion. He waited for her to look him in the eyes before he slapped her. The force of the blow wasn't enough to cause any lasting damage or even leave a mark, but the shock of it sent her reeling. She reached out instinctively to regain her balance and he grabbed her flailing hand and pulled her against him.

"Are you finished acting like a fool?" he asked, voice low.

Meryl said nothing, her eyes avoiding his. She could only bring herself to stare at his chest.

"I grant you more freedom than anyone else," he continued. "Think about what you just said, what you just _did_. You have no concept of the greater scheme of things. If you did, you would probably feel honored - and you should. I am doing what I must to safeguard the future. Don't ever think otherwise."

With that, he stepped away from her. Still holding onto her hand, he led her down the hallway without another word.

• • •

_'Well,_' Milly thought as she tried to calm her nerves_, 'it seems Vash was right all along.'_

The insurance girl swallowed hard as she studied the landscape before her. The more she looked, the more nauseous she felt. The butterflies swirling in her belly were causing quite a storm. She had never felt so nervous in all her life.

Directly ahead of them stood the most bizarre looking geo-plant she had ever seen. It wasn't very large as far as geo-plants go, but it was impressive. For starters, there was no bulb. At least, it didn't _look_ like it had a bulb.

Glass encircled the upper portion of the structure, but it was darkened glass that reflected the greenery around them instead of allowing one to see within. From what Milly's vantage point, there didn't appear to be a control center for the geo-plant. There was a building located directly in front of the geo-plant, but it did not appear to be part of it, as a control center would be.

The strangest quality of the geo-plant was its silence. Geo-plants hum very quietly, and Milly always found the sound to be rather pleasant. She knew that well-trained and experienced plant engineers can tell the condition of the Plant Angel inside by the quality of the hum alone. This geo-plant was dead silent, yet the life growing around them was testimony to the functionality and success of the Plant Angel contained within.

At least... she thought it was. That is, if what she was looking at was truly a geo-plant.

As they drew closer, Milly couldn't help but to feel both awed and terrified at the same time. There was nothing but sand and desert around them for hundreds of iles. No life at all, just dry, cracked earth... yet now they saw only greenery and trees. It was breath-taking - but the source of that beauty was Knives.

It was a strange dichotomy. Three hundred iles of death and decay, and then, from out of nowhere they were surrounded with life. Already Knives was not living up to his reputation. In a few short minutes, they would be at their destination. Taking a deep breath, Milly bowed her head and closed her eyes as she silently prayed.

• • •

Vash's skin felt tingly all over. For the first time in his life, he found that he actually liked the sensation. He could feel the energy within him steadily building the closer they got to Knives and now that energy felt like a second skin around him.

It was invigorating.

Opening his mind, Vash searched for the sensation of Meryl's presence. He could clearly sense the humans surrounding him, but Meryl was distinctly missing.

She wasn't there. _'Where _is_ she?'_

_~Welcome home, Vash~_

Scowling, Vash closed his mind to the familiar voice of his brother as they stood at the entrance to the geo-plant. Three figures stood before him. Vash recognized the first two as Legato and Midvalley, but the other was unfamiliar, though equally dangerous.

"Chapel, the Master will be pleased," Legato said. "You brought him just as you were ordered, though much earlier than you were supposed to."

The priest felt Milly's questioning eyes upon him, but he refused to react to the barbs. Wolfwood clenched his jaw as he studied the opposition. Eleandra, Legato and Midvalley. Zazie was probably with Meryl, and Knives...

Knives was probably watching everything play out from the comfort of his plant chamber.

"Don't get in my way," Vash warned. "Where is Knives?"

Legato smiled at Vash happily, "Have you returned home as a prodigal son or are you here to undermine His plans?"

Vash glared at Legato impatiently, "Answer the question."

"Answer mine."

• • •

She remained silent for the remainder of their walk to the lower levels of the compound. Knives was grateful for that. He had other concerns that needed to be addressed and dealing with Meryl's emotional breakdown was the last thing he needed to think about.

Watching her out of the corner of his eye, Knives noticed the way her expression changed when they entered the room that housed the core. He felt her grow tense beside him as her eyes darted about the room, taking in her surroundings with obvious apprehension. After several several long moments of silence, she turned toward him with eyes that begged the question: _What is this place?_

"This is the main plant core," he said.

Meryl looked the room over once more, doubt lingering in her eyes. "This... this doesn't look like any plant core I have ever seen before."

"Of course not," he agreed. "I created this, for myself and Gwen."

The little human's eyebrows rose at the mention of the unfamiliar name, but she refused to speak her question aloud. Knives answered her anyway.

"Gwen is a sister. The core is divided into two halves," he said. "One half is better suited for Gwen, the other for me. She helped to create this place."

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, her tone of voice betraying her impatience. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk. So impatient, yet somehow still amusing. He was glad to see that she was started to act like herself again. She was far easier to deal with when she wasn't an emotional mess.

"For safe keeping, of course."

A single dark brow rose. "Excuse me?"

"Remove your clothes."

Meryl backed away from him, her eyes flashing. "_What?_"

"You can't wear clothing in the core," he informed her. "You must be clean before you can enter. Remove your clothes."

Face flush with embarrassment and outrage, she took another step away from him. "No! I'm not getting inside of that thing!"

Knives narrowed his eyes at her dangerously. "Yes, you _are._ I expected you to be difficult, but I also expect you to comply. Do it. Otherwise, I will do it myself. I am offering you your dignity."

Her mouth dropped open as she stared in disbelief, then she scoffed at him. "Dignity? You've got to be kidding."

With that, Knives approached her, invading her personal space in a matter of seconds. Her arms went up defensively to stop him, but he was able to catch both of her hands in his and push her back against the wall, pinning her. A strange sensation of warmth rushed through her when she felt her slightly swollen belly brush up against him. The intimacy of their position combined with his intense expression and perfectly-shaped lips curled upward into a smirk suddenly reminded her of Knives obvious masculinity.

It wasn't that she hadn't noticed it before. Knives was just as attractive as his twin... but to feel his body pressed against hers, to feel his warmth, to smell him...

'_Good Lord, I really am losing my mind if I'm getting turned on by this freak after what he's done!_'

Then to her shock, he reached for the buttons of her nightshirt. For a second, she thought he was going to grope her.

"If you won't undress yourself," he said, reaching for the top button of her night shirt, "then I will do it for you. Modesty is a human virtue."

One button came undone, then the second. Meryl tried to slap his hand away, only to be ignored as he began to work on the third.

"Fine!" she snapped as another button came undone. "Stop it already!"

His hand paused in mid-route to the fourth button and he looked at her with a strange glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "You have chosen dignity then?"

"Bastard," she hissed.

The fourth button came undone.

"Okay! I told you to stop," She growled, "Let go of me, damn it!"

He pushed himself away from her and watched her with that same amused smirk. She glared at him a moment longer before ordering him to turn around while she disrobed. The throaty sound of Knives' laughter caused her cheeks to burn with anger, but he turned his back to her anyway.

Meryl felt her temper flare brightly as trembling fingers clumsily unfastened the remaining buttons. "I thought _humans_ couldn't survive within a plant core," she said sarcastically, hoping to bait him for another chance to yell at him.

"You're not quite human. Don't fret, I adjusted the environment to better suit you."

"_Don't fret._ My ass." Meryl shrugged off her nightshirt and pulled off her panties. Her flesh immediately broke out into goosebumps and she resisted the urge to shiver. Holding the nightshirt against her chest, she did her best to hide her nudity. "Bastard."

"Finished?"

Meryl clenched her jaw and glared daggers at the back of his head, "Yes."

He turned to face her again, his features revealing not a hint of amusement nor anger, just cold logic. "You have another decision to make. You can clean yourself and enter the core on your own, or be forced."

Meryl peered at him quizzically, "Clean myself? What is this?"

"A simple shower will suffice, then you can enter the core," he said, walking past her. His hands moved over a control panel near the entrance to the core as he adjusted the settings. Meryl watched him for a moment, then sucked in a deep breath as her teeth began to chatter from her shivering. The noise caught his attention and he looked at her over his shoulder, his gaze moving down her body curiously. Then, meeting her eyes, he said, "It will be warm in the core."

She stared at him, dumbfounded. "Why are you suddenly giving me choices? What _is_ this?"

The free-born plant sighed as he turned his attention back to the control panel. Had the situation been different, he would have simply ordered Conrad or that nurse to prepare her for the core but he didn't have the time.

"I'm not giving you any choices," he said. "You _will_ enter the plant core, that is non-negotiable. I'm just giving you the option to cooperate." He tilted his head as he looked at her, "Unless you rather I bathe you..?"

Meryl's mouth dropped open and she hugged the nightshirt closer to her body, "What? NO!"

He smirked at her, "Good answer."

Sensing his attempt to bait her, Meryl squared her jaw and lifted her chin defiantly, "Alright, fine. But I'm not getting into that thing without knowing why you want me in there. What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing," he said. "You will only be in there for a few hours. You can sleep in there for all I care. It will not be unpleasant, I can promise you that."

Silence filled the room as each individual studied the other. Finally, Meryl peered at Knives with a knowing look.

"Vash is here, isn't he?"


	17. chapter sixteen :: to a baser nature

**Double Helix**

chapter sixteen  
~ to a baser nature ~

* * *

Muscles once tense from stress and worry began to relax. It was a wonderful sensation, even comforting. Sleep beckoned to her, seducing her with its calm but Meryl resisted stubbornly. As tired as she was she was not yet willing to fall asleep in such a strange environment. Fighting the temptation around her, she forced her mind to churn with thoughts of the free-born plant observing her from the shadows beyond the glass.

Knives was acting strangely. Even for him.

In the months since her capture, she had come to expect certain behaviors from him. For one, he avoided direct contact with her whenever possible. Verbally or physically. He would certainly observe her from afar, but actual contact was simply beneath him. If there was an occasion where he had to acknowledge her directly, he did so with as much contempt toward her as possible.

Granted, Zazie told her that she was granted far more freedoms and consideration than anyone - even among his own followers - but Meryl was no fool. He hated her. She was nothing more than an incubator to him.

When he had grabbed her wrists earlier, he did so with very little effort on his part, in spite of Meryl's attempt to pull herself out of his grip. Yet, when he was leading her to the plant core, he did nothing to stop her from attacking him. He certainly had the ability to do so. She knew that well enough. And it wasn't as though Meryl's attack was in any way organized so there was simply no way that she had caught him in an unguarded moment.

All she knew was that she simply wanted to hurt him and her body reacted to that desire. And he had _allowed_ it to happen.

Watching him watch her, her mind repeated the question that plagued her the most. _'Why..?' _

Then there was the way he reacted when Meryl asked him if Vash had arrived. She expected Knives to be agitated and concerned about the arrival of his twin. She expected him to radiate hatred and rage... instead his lips quirked up into a wry grin. At the mention of his brother's name, Knives' eyes seemed to light up with something akin to joy. The moment lasted but a second, but she saw it plainly. He was _pleased_ about his brother's arrival. Excited even. It was almost child-like in its purity and the reaction reminded her of Vash.

Was there a time when Vash and Knives were not all that different?

The memory of Knives' words reared to the forefront of her mind.

_"He's acting strangely," he said  
_

_"Strangely...? How?"_

_"That is not your concern," the tone of Knives' voice just beginning to reflect his impatience. "The necessary precautions have been taken."_

_"...That's why you're putting me in this thing...? Because of Vash?" _

_"I have no time for this. _I_ will prepare you for entry into the core if you continue to stall and I will not be gentle." _

Meryl knew trying to continue the conversation would prove fruitless. Without a word, she quickly busied herself with scrubbing her body clean. The feeling of his eyes watching her was more than a little unnerving. He'd seen her naked more times than she'd like to remember, but... not like this. Not with eyes that were no longer cold and distant. His expression had changed. The weight of his stare felt different. It wasn't lustful. Nor did she feel contempt. What she felt in his expression was curiosity. Wonder. Interest.

So heavy was his expression that Meryl her skin warm from embarrassment. No, Knives was not acting the way she had come to expect him to react. In fact, _Meryl_ wasn't reacting the way she expected herself to react. Especially considering the rescue that she longed hoped for had finally arrived.

During her forced stay she had privately entertained plenty of scenarios of what her moment of liberation would be like. The first couple of months after Knives took her, it was that hope of being rescued that kept her going. Yet, as time marched on and no signs of any reprieve came, her aspirations began to diminish as she realized that she was on her own.

Still, in the recesses of her mind, she nursed a flicker of hope.

Secretly she dreamed Vash would find her and save her somehow. A drama had played out in her imagination of the Humanoid Typhoon swooping in and saving her as he exacted justice upon Knives for taking her to begin with... but now that the drama was unfolding, the reality of the situation seemed to dictate itself differently. Vash had finally come for her, but she didn't feel as relieved and joyful as she thought she would. Instead she felt afraid. She didn't want him to see her in her current condition. The jagged scar that ran up her arm felt suddenly shameful. Almost as shameful as the swelling of her mid-section.

No longer was she the confident and independent Meryl Stryfe she used to be. The arrival of the legendary Humanoid Typhoon seemed to only highlight her weakness and lack of self-reliance. Vash was a painful reminder of what she had let happen to her.

How could she explain this... _pregnancy..._ to Vash and Milly?

What would she say to her family? Her father?

What would she do if Vash and Milly took her from here, back out into the real world? Milly and Vash would take her to a hospital. Meryl was certain of that. Then what?

The doctors would probably want to take the baby out of her and run tests on her to find out why she was able to carry such a thing inside of her. She would still feel like livestock, except then her shame would be exposed to _everyone. _Besides, the Body _knew_ about her. They knew what she looked like and what was inside of her. They revered her as the mother of a god, a Madonna.

They'd never let her go.

She knew they were everywhere because Knives used them extensively. They were his eyes and ears all over the planet; she wouldn't be able to escape them. At least not for long. The minute she breathed freedom they would be trying to take it away from her again.

She was stuck. She couldn't physically flee from her situation, nor could she change it.

Her threats to kill the child were just threats. She knew days ago that she wouldn't be able to kill her. It wasn't her baby within her, but it was still innocent. It wasn't evil or malicious. At least not yet - not without Knives' interference and twisted teachings. But what the child could become wasn't what it was right now, and Meryl couldn't bring herself to hate it for crimes it may never commit. Within her womb grew a child, and she couldn't hate it for being that.

For as much as Meryl hated Knives for forcing her into this situation, she doubted she would be any better off as a "patient" under his care as she would under the care of strangers. After all, Conrad was human and she had come to learn that it was _his_ idea to use her as a surrogate to begin with. How could she be certain that another doctor wouldn't look at her like Conrad did? The plant worshipers were everywhere. How would she know whom to trust? She didn't have the luxury of time to figure out who was genuine and who was not.

As the comforting warmth of the bulb soothed away the knots of tension and worry that tightened her muscles, Meryl felt a sense of resignation wash over her. No matter what happened, there was no easy way out, no simple solution. Even if he wanted to, Vash couldn't save her. No one could. Not any more. But accepting the situation didn't automatically mean defeat. After all, true defeat wasn't being pregnant, or giving birth or even death. All of those things were inconsequential to Knives' long-term plans.

No, true defeat would be giving Knives what he wanted: another plant just like him that he could shape and mold into his own image and use toward his own ends. If Meryl lived - if she _survived_ - she could change that. She could be a mother. And in that role, she would be Knives' undoing.

• • •

Knives waited until Meryl appeared comfortable and drowsy before he departed to meet his brother. He was looking forward to seeing him again, but the safety of seedling and surrogate came first. Even if the situation took an unexpected turn for the worse, Meryl would survive and Zazie would take her into hiding until Knives could arrange to meet with them.

His mouth curved into a graceful smile. She was beginning to accept her fate; she had called it a baby, she even referred to it by using a feminine pronoun_._ Conrad had predicted that Meryl's maternal instincts would manifest itself by the second trimester and she was proving his hypothesis true. That certainly made the situation easier to manage if she was no longer bent on killing the seedling. Perhaps if she proved the doctor wrong and survived the birth, she could be used as an Eve for him again. He could use her to birth an army - an entire generation of plants that could exist outside the confines of their prison.

Such a prospect excited him to no end and he couldn't help but to grin. Everything was coming together. Hope was becoming a tangible thing. For the first time since Knives learned of Tessla, he found a reason not to loathe _all_ humans. Indeed, their extinction was long overdue, but to think that a human could provide such hope - such promise - it was more than he ever dreamed possible. But still, there was the issue of his twin to deal with. Knives couldn't imagine Eden without his brother. If only Vash would accept the truth, everything would be perfect.

Squaring his shoulders, Knives cleared his mind of all distractions and sentiments as he made his way toward the upper levels of the compound. Vash was chaos that needed to be contained and Knives wasn't stupid enough to think that he could confront his brother without violence and pain. Words no longer seemed to reach him as they once did, not since Rem died. For Vash to fully grasp what Knives was trying to do, he would have to see it. Experience it.

Therefore, Vash needed to be captured. If not for his own sake, but for the safety of Meryl and the seedling.

• • •

Eleandra and Midvalley would not be half as troublesome to deal with if it were not for Legato's constant distractions. The cripple didn't use violence fight Vash. Their battle was more of a contest of wills that was quickly becoming both painful and draining. Every time Vash tried to bring forth his power, Legato countered him, blocked him or completely prevented him from exercising his natural abilities. And in between those moments of psychic force, the human spewed a seemingly endless line of psychobabble and religious overtures that made little to no sense. Everything from condemnation and salvation to apocalypse and betrayal seemed to flow from his mouth. Vash largely tried to ignore him, but found himself snapped back to his inane rants when Legato began to compare himself and Meryl to Rem.

Just the very idea of someone was completely insane and sadistic as Legato Bluesummers comparing himself to her was enough for Vash to attempt to draw upon his power with more effort than before. He didn't care how badly the fight was going for Milly and Chapel. He didn't care that Chapel was having an increasingly difficult time trying to protect Milly as both Eleandra and Midvalley closed in on them. They were a dead weight to him; slowing him down and causing him to lose focus on the task at hand. Knives was the only one that mattered. Vash didn't care about anyone else. He simply knew that his brother had to be stopped before he did to Meryl what he did to Rem.

Vash pressed his mind against Legato's, pushing his will into the human's skull. Surprisingly, the cripple pushed back with an almost equal amount of force. No human should have that much psychic ability. It simply couldn't be possible. Knives had to be helping him. Vash ground his teeth together at the thought. Somewhere in the bowls of his self-made sanctuary, Knives was acting like a coward and hiding from his twin.

There would be no more hiding, no more cowardice. Vash would force his brother to confront him, even if it meant destroying everything around him to do so. Decision made, the free-born plant let his irritation give way to rage and soon his body thrummed with power as his self-control began to slip and he was rewarded with the sight of blood.

"KNIVES!" Vash shouted, his anger pulsing through his body without any hindrance from Legato's psychic counters. Eyes closed and head slumped to the side, Vash watched as blood poured from the cripple's nose. It was with no small amount of disappointment that Vash realized that the human was still alive, but as least he was no longer an obstacle.

"Knives, where are you? COME OUT!"

_'What are you doing, Vash' _

A tremor of anger ran up Vash's spine. '_Knives...'_

_'You are going to kill all your little human friends if you let yourself go like this. They can't take much more. You don't want them to die, do you?'_

Vash clenched his jaw,_ 'You've finally decided to show yourself.'_

The younger twin felt his brother smile in his mind. _'Did you think that I was hiding from you, Vash?'_

_'I know you were.'_ Vash scanned the entrance to the geo-plant, searching for any sign of Knives, '_You still are.'_

_'I had business to take care of. You arrived much sooner than I expected.'_

Vash made no response as he waited for his brother. He nursed the power resonating within him.

_'Join me, Vash,'_ Knives said, his psychic voice felt deceptively soothing. _'It would be so much easier that way. You can be with her. We both can. We can be a family.'_

_'What are you talking about, Knives?'_

_'I'm saving us, all of us.' _ Knives stepped out of the building, his blades of flesh shinning unnaturally in the twin suns. He smiled warmly at his brother and pushed back against his mind, trying to calm him. _'We're dying Vash, can't you see that?'_

Vash regarded him with eyes still wild from his struggle against the crippled plant worshiper.

_'You'll hurt her, Vash, if you don't calm down.'_

The younger plant clenched his jaw. _'Don't lie to me!'_

_'I'm not lying to you. She's here.'_

_'Bullshit! __I can't sense her—'_

_'Vash, I haven't been able to read her mind or sense her presence in months,' _Knives said, his tone almost warm as a smile graced his features._ 'She's changing Vash... somehow she's changing. Her body is producing dynamicytes.'_

_'Let me see her.'_

Knives shook his head, 'No,_ not yet. Not when you are like this. I can't trust you, Vash. This is too important. Are you going to join with me?'_

Vash regarded his brother for several long seconds, his expression reflecting his doubt. Knives was manipulative and crafty. He was deceptive and his motives were always self-serving. Vash _knew_ Knives was lying about Meryl. He _had_ to be...

_'Dynamicytes! Is that the best you can do?' _

The bastard was truly insane if he expected Vash to believe that. _  
_

_'I would not lie about something like that,' _Knives said, his psychic voice strangely patient._ 'She is less human than you think and that is what makes her so important.' _

An image of Meryl suddenly filled Vash's mind and he knew that his twin was projecting a memory upon him. She looked different. Softer, rounder, but it was clearly her. Violet eyes framed with dark hair, expression bright and intelligent with just a hint of rebelliousness. Her expression reminded him of all the times that she refused to stop following him, to stay out of the way, to not get involved... And then he felt it. The emotion that Knives attached to the memory. It wasn't disgust or hate or malevolence. It was_ tender_. Perhaps even somewhat affectionate... and hopeful.

That realization alone was enough to throw Vash off balance and he took two steps backward on reflex. Knives didn't seem to notice.

_'It's almost poetic irony considering all they have done to us,'_ he said._  
_

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

This wasn't right. Meryl wasn't important to Knives. She was another human to use as bait. Knives was planning to kill her just as he killed Rem... just as he killed everyone Vash ever cared for. Knives delighted in causing suffering because he could get away with it. Vash had always been too weak to stop him. This was a trick... a distraction. There was no way that she mattered to him. No way that he cared. Knives was playing upon Vash's weakness, his compassion. No more. He could not be the weaker brother any longer. Rem had to know that Knives needed to be stopped. Even if it meant killing him...

She would understand.

The expression on Knives' face suddenly changed as Vash called forth his power, his eyes glowing brightly in the daylight.

'_Vash! What are you..!'_

_'Die, Knives.'_

Knives screamed in agony and rage as Vash's power peaked, creating a bubble of energy around them. Fire seemed to lick their skin as an inky darkness spread through the hair of both twins in response.

• • •

Eleandra had long since abandoned the battle, disappearing in a cloud of dust and gun-smoke. A wounded Midvalley was suddenly left to face the pair alone. The saxophone player recognized the intent in Wolfwood's eyes when the priest stood before him.

Expression hardening into a stubborn resolve, Midvalley played his saxophone in earnest. The resulting cacophony of sound did little to thwart Wolfwood from his goal as he advanced on his already fatally wounded opponent.

Midvalley, in his rising panic, stumbled and lost his footing once during his attempt to retreat. A bullet from Milly's .45 slowed his movements and hampered his ability to play. Dark, panic-filled eyes rose to meet unearthly calm as Wolfwood pushed Milly behind him and held her there with one hand. Without blinking, Wolfwood leveled the cross punisher against Midvalley and pulled the trigger. Brain and fragments of skull burst out of the back of Midvalley's head, killing him instantly.

"Let's go," Wolfwood said gruffly as he pulled Milly with him toward the car.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "We can't leave Vash and Meryl."

Wolfwood spared her a meaningful glance as he continued to drag her away from the carnage behind them. "They're trying to kill you. I can't let that happen."

"But, Meryl and Vash..."

"It's too late for her, but not for you. Vash will be fine," Wolfwood trailed off as he was suddenly aware of an odd electricity in the air. It was faint, but he knew it so well that it was unmistakable. Without looking, he knew Vash was loosing control.

"But Vash-"

"Milly!" He reached out to her with both hands, pulling her to him forcefully.

"What! What's happening?"

"Get down!" he screamed, pulling her with him and shielding her with his body.

She continued to protest until she felt it too, the odd tingling in the air as energy built up around them. She clung to him desperately, burying her face in his chest and muttering something Wolfwood could not understand. Arms tightened around her and he lowered his forehead to rest against the top of her head, waiting for the inevitable.

• • •

Knives felt a jolt move through him, his flesh burning as his energy was suddenly spent. He stared at Vash wide-eyed as the pain threatened to black-out his senses. His brother, his _twin_, was trying to kill him. Grinding his teeth together in stubborn rage, Knives fought to rise above his pain. He pulled at his inborn abilities, bringing them to the forefront of his mind and destroying the link between them. The torrent of energy dissipated into a fuzzy haze of confusion as both brothers dizzily collapsed in agony.

The opportunity was upon him. With all the effort he could muster, Knives weakly lifted his hand with two fingers raised. The sickening sound of flesh being penetrated by steel and the moans of pain that accompanied it caused Knives to wince, but he forced opened his eyes anyway.

He had to make sure Eleandra did his job properly.

A few yarz away lay his brother pinned face-down against the earth, a large nail protruding from his shoulder. The sniper, Eleandra, stood several hundred yarz away as he took aim with a second, much smaller weapon. In a flurry of motion, Vash's back was covered in spikes as Eleandra strategically placed each nail into his flesh, careful to prevent any major organs from being damaged while still rendering the plant immobile and helpless.

The humanoid typhoon groaned in pain as he fought to free his pinned shoulder, blood oozing from the wounds. Knives crawled toward Vash, his flesh still burning from the attempt to force the completion of the Hair Darkening Effect. Tears of anger and betrayal stung the eyes of the elder twin as he peered at his brother, his hair nearly completely black.

"I can't... I _can'_t believe you did that, Vash," Knives whispered hoarsely, disgust and disappointment evident in his voice. "I can't believe you're willing to sacrifice all of us to avenge _her!_ For Rem! Do you hate your heritage that much?"


	18. chapter seventeen :: morpheus laughing

**Double Helix**

chapter seventeen  
~ morpheus laughing ~

* * *

The sensation of being pulled backward tugged her toward consciousness, but she stubbornly resisted its lure. The gentle ebbs and flows of the warmth around her was too much to resist and she wanted nothing more than to remain and allow herself to float in the quiet nothingness that surrounded her.

"Meryl."

She jerked reflexively at the sound of her name, as though the sound alone was an annoyance. Subconsciously, she recognized the voice and knew she should respond to it, but she didn't want to. She groaned unhappily instead.

"Wake up, Meryl."

The voice was still calm, but there was an iron tone of authority that forced languid eyes to blink open. Meryl mumbled something incoherent, only to feel a sharp tug.

"Stop," she protested, her voice barely a whisper. "Tired."

Seconds later, a pair of hands squeezed her shoulders. Then the voice returned, harsher and more insistent. "I am running out of patience."

She made a conscious effort to fight against the grogginess at that point, pushing herself to open her eyes and focus on what it was that was so damn important. In the gentle haze of the plant core, Meryl peered at the figure of the one trying so hard to rouse her from her sleep. He was blocking the view of the exit and the glass walls that formed the barrier between the outside world and the inner core, the shadow of his body shielding from the light streaming in from beyond. It was difficult to make out the details of his expression from that angle, save for the piercing gaze of his ice-blue eyes. They almost seemed to almost glow, and realizing those eyes were directed at her set off warning bells in the back of her mind.

Something wasn't right.

"What's happening?" she murmured.

He reached for her, his body moving to the side as he pulled her toward him. The light around him changed, revealing more of his features to her questioning eyes. What she saw brought her to full wakefulness in an instant.

"Knives?" she asked, her eyes bouncing from his hair, to his eyes, down to his jaw and neck and back again. His hair, once nearly completely blond, now had a shock of dark, black hair that extended almost three inches back from his forehead, from temple to temple. The change was so dramatic that Meryl's first thought was that it was merely a trick of the light. But there was more. The skin around his eyes, mouth and along his jaw appeared red and irritated, as though he had spent too much time exposed to the sun.

"What happened? Why is your hair...?"

He gritted his teeth at her, clearly annoyed, and Meryl interpreted his expression as a silent demand to keep her questions to herself. As he moved around her, his hands never leaving her arms and shoulders, more evidence that something was clearly wrong revealed itself. It was no trick of the light that his hair was darker. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw that the skin irritations that marred his face extended further down his neck and chest. The red, blotchy skin eruptions reminded her less of a sunburn and more of an allergic reaction or chemical burn - though it was the most strangely patterned burn she had ever seen. As her eyes moved from one wound to another she became quite acutely aware that he was naked.

And then she remembered that she was, too.

With a gasp, she immediately closed her eyes and moved her arms to cover her chest. It was childish, she knew, but years of propriety demanded that she at least make an attempt to somehow restore modesty. Knives was unmoved, without a word he simply pulled her toward him and she flinched reflexively. He interpreted sudden jerk as resistance and growled.

"Don't test me," he hissed. "Get out of the damn core. Now!"

"Then let me go," she said, pulling against him. "I can get out on my own."

"I have been trying to get you to wake up and leave the core for almost ten fucking minutes," he said, his mouth just inches from her ear as he spoke. "I will not wait another damn minute."

'_Something is very, very wrong_,' she thought as she grudgingly submitted to his demand. Muscles tense and heart pounding hard in her chest, she tried to ignore the feel of his hands on her, just below her breasts, or the occasional bump of her backside against him as he pulled her toward the hatch. Without warning, he moved over her, leaving the core first and then pulling her to him. The coldness of the air outside of the core caused her to hiss, but she didn't dare resist as Knives carefully helped her shimmy her way out of the hatch. She stood on wobbly legs as Knives held her steady.

"Give your body a chance to get used to the change in gravity," he said, his hands still on her shoulders and his chest just inches from her face. She could even smell him. Impossible as it may be considering the preparations required to just enter the core, there was a distinct scent that she could only describe as _him_ that tickled at her nostrils.

She took in their proximity and the sensations of his nearness with as much detached professionalism as she could muster and didn't dare speak. It was surreal how intimate their positions were and how careful he was being with her, in spite of how angry he sounded just moments ago. He didn't seem to care how much of her body touched his. Or perhaps he simply didn't view her naked body in the same way that she viewed his, but Meryl was finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that she was being touched - almost held - by someone quite so attractively and perfectly _male_.

Knives was an undeniable bastard, but he felt good. In spite of the fact that he wasn't even human, his nearness felt strangely reassuring. He felt warm, solid, strong, comforting...

_Hormones,_ she told herself. _Hormones and stress and loneliness and insanity. Nothing more._

"Wh-what happened?" she asked, her voice squeaking. She hoped and prayed that hearing his voice would snap her brain back to reality. Knives wasn't really a man. He was male - that much was more than obvious - but he was not a _man_. Not something or someone that should feel or look good. "Did you kill him?"

Ice-blue eyes flashed dangerously, "Of course not!"

Meryl recoiled from the intensity of his words and the uncomfortable sexual tension she had been feeling immediately began to deflate. The two stared at each other for a long moment before she finally averted her eyes. Then she braved trying to step out of his loose embrace to stand without his assistance. He held her still.

"You're hurt," she said. "And your hair is different..."

A blond eyebrow rose at her statement.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," was his curt reply.

"And Vash?"

He grimaced, but said nothing. Then his hands dropped to his sides as he released her. Without a word, he moved away from her, leaving her standing alone and naked next to the hatch the led to the plant bulb. The room felt suddenly very cold and unsteady without his nearness and she wrapped her arms around herself in a futile effort to warm herself. As Knives began to pull on his clothes, Meryl spotted a robe hanging on the other side of the room. She managed a few steps toward it before she felt her stomach lurch as a wave of dizziness seized her. Dark spots appeared in her vision as the world suddenly grew dark. She tried to straighten herself, to stand still until the dizziness passed, but her balance began to teeter uncontrollably. She felt herself begin to fall when a pair of solid arms wrapped around her and helped her to a chair.

"Sit," Knives ordered.

Meryl wanted to tell him that she really had no damn choice, but she shivered instead. Pinching her chin between his thumb and forefinger, Knives tilted her face up and peered at her intently. She recognized that he was assessing her, taking stock of her symptoms to gauge whether he needed to call for a doctor or not and she scowled at him. Her reaction seemed to reassure him, and he released her.

"Stay still," he said, then moved around her and retrieved the robe. Seconds later, he was helping her put it on.

"Zazie will take you back to your room when you are well enough to stand," he continued as he finished securing the robe around her. "Until then, just sit here. Don't get up, don't talk, don't do anything. I don't have time to deal with you right now."

"T-tell me what happened," Meryl swallowed, her voice shaky. She took a deep breath as she pulled the robe more tightly around her, "Please."

"Your refusal to obey even the most basic requests is truly remarkable."

"Please," she repeated.

Knives ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Vash is... _stubborn._"

Meryl gave a slight nod.

Knives moved past her, beyond her line of sight. "He's injured, but he'll be fine."

"Will I... _can_ I see him?"

"He's unconscious and needs to regenerate," he said. She heard the distinct sound of typing and knew he was at the control panel for the plant core. "Are you still dizzy?" he asked.

"I feel nauseous."

He reappeared in front of her again and his assessing gaze came with him, "You're still pale."

Meryl sighed and dipped her head down, forcing herself to breathe slow, steady breaths. Then she felt his hand hook under her arm, urging her to stand. "Need to move," he said as he held her steady with one hand while pushing her chair back with the other. She leaned into him, trying to ignore the way the world had started to spin again when she stood, when Knives finally set her back down.

"Maybe... maybe I should just lay down..."

"On the floor?" he asked. "I think not. Zazie will be along soon. Just wait."

"Where are you going?"

"No where," he murmured, his attention once again focused on the control panel.

"Knives? Can you at least tell me what happened to the others?" she asked, "Was Milly with him?"

Knives sighed, "I don't care about his _human_ friends."

"I do." She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Just... just tell me if they're still alive. Please."

"Chapel killed Midvalley and escaped with the woman," a disembodied voice answered. Meryl lifted her head just enough to see Eleandra standing in the doorway, watching her. As much as she hated the freakish she-man, relief flooded her upon hearing those words.

"Milly should go home," she murmured.

"Indeed," Knives agreed, his voice coming from somewhere beyond her line of sight. She was tempted to lean forward in her seat to see in an effort to see what he was doing, but her insides felt like jelly. She didn't trust herself to move too much. Not until her nausea passed. Eyes closed and head lowered, she took several deep, cleansing breaths as she forced herself to relax as she rubbed absently at her protruding middle. As if responding to her ministrations, she felt the baby move within her. Stretching and turning, the unborn life made her presence known. Meryl concentrated on sensation as she rubbed her belly in a soothing gesture. She only ventured to look up when she heard Knives leave the room.

A moment later he returned. With Vash.

Strapped to a gurney and soaked with blood laid the humanoid typhoon. He wasn't dead. She could see the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, but he was so still and quiet that she was certain that he must be hovering close to death. Heart pounding hard in her chest and tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Meryl whispered, "What... what happened?"

Silence answered her, save for the pair of green eyes that slowly blinked opened. Meryl felt her mouth go suddenly dry as she watched her friend try to focus on her. He didn't look good. She had seen him injured before, but this was different. There was something wrong with Vash. Something beyond physical wounds.

She glanced at Knives, trying to get a read on the situation by assessing his reaction to it, only to see his open curiosity as he watched his brother watch her.

"V-vash?" she said, voice gentle and just a bit frightened. The sound of her voice, or perhaps the use of his name, caused him to blink and scowl. Then his eyes traveled over her form, as though he was trying to recognize her but couldn't. Meryl tensed and clenched at the collar of her robe when his eyes settled on the swell of her abdomen.

Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped back to her face.

"Your hair is different," he breathed.

His eyes wavered out of focus as he looked at her, but Meryl offered a shy smile. She touched the ends of her hair with nervous fingers. It was longer than it was the last time she saw Vash. "I... I haven't had a chance to cut it," she said.

"I've always liked... your hair long... Rem."

• • •

"Here," Wolfwood said as he offered his canteen to Milly, nudging her once on the shoulder to get her attention.

She took the vessel from his hands and muttered a quiet thanks. Milly swallowed a few mouthfuls of water as Wolfwood looked on.

"We should try to get some rest before sunset," the priest sighed, eyeing the horizon with a troubled expression. "We don't have enough water to travel very far by day. We'll have to move at night."

A wave of guilt fluttered through Milly's consciousness as she swallowed another mouthful. She blushed, feeling suddenly guilty. Without a word, the insurance agent handed the canteen back. Silence wrapped around them, smothering them for several moments. Each glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of what the other was thinking. Tired of the dead air, Milly spoke.

"What happened back there, Wolfwood?"

The priest turned his head to regard her, taken slightly aback by her use of his family name. She never called him that before. It was always 'Mr. Priest.' Or, more recently, 'Chapel.' He hated the sound of that name on her lips more than anything. 'Wolfwood' sounded almost musical in her voice.

"I'm not sure," the priest admitted truthfully.

"Do you think... you don't think he's _dead_... do you?"

"Vash?"

Milly nodded.

Wolfwood put his hands behind him and leaned back, "I... don't know, but I don't think so. They're probably both still alive. I think if either one of them died back there doing that_,_ there would've been an explosion of some kind. A large one. Probably bigger than July."

Exhaling a shaky breath, Milly nodded. "What about Meryl?"

"You should give up on finding her."

Blue eyes flashed with anger. "What do you mean I should 'give up?' She's my partner, I can't just '_give up!'_ She wouldn't give up looking for me!"

Wolfwood ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated gesture. "She might if she knew what I know."

The woman searched his face for a long moment, "What do you know?"

"Milly, she's going to die. It's too late to help her."

The insurance girl's expression grew indignant. "I don't believe that and neither does Vash!"

Wolfwood sighed and turned his face toward the sky. "Milly, she has a _plant_ inside of her. Do you know what the average amount of energy a fully matured Plant Angel produces in a single year? Seven _billion_ kilowatts per hour." Milly looked at Wolfwood blankly for a moment before he continued, "That's enough energy to power November for two years, maybe more."

"Well that doesn't make sense," Milly said. "If they produce so much energy why is every town so possessive of their plant? You make it sound like there is more than enough to go around. Why do cities fight over energy rights? Why do the Feds control energy distribution?"

"Because the plant itself consumes one-third of all the energy it produces. The thing inside of Meryl is a fetus and from what I was told, it won't be able to produce enough energy to survive until after it is born. That means it'll be looking to the surrogate for the energy it needs to survive."

Eyes wide, she asked, "The baby... the plant... will kill her?"

"Oh yes," he said, "the plant will _consume_ her."

"...I don't accept that."

Wolfwood sighed.

"You don't know everything!" Milly stood suddenly, her voice thick. "What if you're wrong? What if the person who told you all that made a mistake? How do you know that the plant inside of her is like other Plant Angels? What if it's like Vash? I'm not going to take that chance. You could be wrong. If we're going back to help Vash we have to help Meryl as well! We can't turn our backs on her. We just can't!"

The priest rubbed the back of his head and took a deep breath. "Do you realize what we're up against, Milly?"

"Of course I do!"

"Hmph," Wolfwood grunted as he reached for a cigarette. Finding none in the usual spot, he swore under his breath and searched his remaining pockets.

"Wolfwood, don't you want to help her?"

"Of course I do! I want to help her, but think about what's inside of her! It's an _alien._ A plant_._ This isn't a human baby we're talking about here. Vash needs us, we can help him... but Meryl is probably too far gone. Even if we're able to get both of them out, which is doubtful," he said as he looked at her meaningfully, "what are we going to do? Take her to a hospital? Do you think they'll be able to help her? It was a human doctor who proposed the idea to Knives to begin with."

Milly rubbed her eyes, wiping away the stray tears. She nodded in understanding, but still held her chin up defiantly. "I don't care about all that. My big sister taught me to help friends in need and Meryl and Vash are in need. We'll just have to do our best to help them both."

• • •

Since Vash's capture, Knives had allowed Meryl more freedom to move about the geo-plant. Zazie still had to be with her, but she could go almost anywhere she wished. Her only restriction was to stay away from the core. In other words, she had to stay away from Vash. That was fine with her. She didn't really want to see Vash and Knives knew it. She certainly thought about the gunman on a daily basis and she always asked about him... but seeing him face-to-face was something else entirely.

It was obvious that Vash wasn't in his right mind when she saw him, and she knew that, but there was just enough recognition and intelligence behind his eyes for her to feel more than a little hurt. He had stared at the evidence of her pregnancy and he had peered directly into her eyes when he called her 'Rem,' but still, she felt invisible to him. He had come all that way to rescue her and when she was right there in front of him, he didn't _see_ her. It was difficult to not feel a bit stung by that.

What significance there was behind him calling her 'Rem' wasn't something she was privy to, but from the expression on Knives' face - the strange mix of surprised amusement and disgust - was enough to ward off her curiosity. At least for a time. Eventually she would ask. Just not yet. Not now.

"You should be sleeping," Zazie said, interrupting her thoughts as she walked beside her.

Meryl sighed and continued her path down the hall toward the door that led to eastern exit of the building. There was a small expanse of grass-covered land surrounded by a scattering or trees and a few large boulders that formed the yard that Knives gave her permission to visit. '_The suns will be good for you,_' he had told her. Meryl didn't thank for him the privileged of going outside, after all, she was still a prisoner. But she still took advantage of being able to peer up into the bright blue sky and feel the warmth of the suns on her face and shoulders.

"I can sleep whenever I want," she said. "All I can do is eat, sleep, read and now wander. Forgive me if I want to wander."

Zazie snorted as she held open the door for Meryl before following her outside. The air was crisp and unseasonably cool, but still a welcome change to the filtered air within the geo-plant. In the pre-dawn light, she could easily see the scars left in the landscape to her immediate right. To her left, she saw the lush green of vegetation and new growth. The contrast felt strangely poignant. Pushing a bothersome lock of hair from her eyes, Meryl carefully lowered herself to sit on the grass as she watched the horizon. In a few minutes, the first sun would peak over the horizon. Fourteen minutes after that, the second sun would make its grand appearance. Pulling her robe tighter around her shoulders, Meryl continued to wait patiently for the birth of a new day as she tried to forget her worries.

Zazie shifted beside her and sighed in obvious boredom as she flicked a small stone away with her index finger. It was nice being outside, regardless of the company. Truth be told, Meryl didn't really mind the company of the faux human. Her constant presence seemed almost normal now, though Meryl often missed having time to herself. If someone had to be her baby sitter, she was thankful it was Zazie. She was the least frightening of Knives' loyalists.

"It should be coming up now," Meryl said quietly.

"I've seen it before."

"So have I."

Zazie glanced over at Meryl, "Maybe you should talk to the doctor about your not being able to sleep through the night."

The petite woman clicked her tongue and gave Zazie an exasperated glare. "That's ridiculous. Why would I need to tell him about that?"

"Something might be wrong with you."

"The reason I can't sleep is because I lay awake at night worrying about Milly and thinking about Vash," she said. "There's nothing wrong with me. Most normal people lose sleep when they're worried. It's hardly something worthy of alerting a doctor about."

Zazie said nothing for several seconds. She flicked another pebble away, then said, "We're not coming out here like this again. Not when you are supposed to be asleep."

The pregnant woman rolled her eyes as she reached behind her and scratched her shoulder blade, "Fine."

The hive watched her movements with a slight frown. The same spot. She was always scratching that spot. She claimed it was just a simple rash, but Zazie had her doubts. "I'm going to tell Knives and Conrad about your back today."

"Why? I told you want it is."

"I'm under orders to report anything suspicious."

"It's _just_ a rash," Meryl said as she rubbed the itchy, chaffed skin along her shoulder blade. "I have sensitive skin so I'm prone to rashes. It's nothing."

"You've been complaining about soreness and now you have a rash. And it's spread," she said. "I looked."

"Of course you did," Meryl muttered.

"I'm going to tell them."

Annoyed, Meryl clenched her jaw. "Can't I just enjoy the suns coming up without you nagging me? Please? I've been complaining about my treatment and the lousy food here, too, and you have yet to tell that grievance to Knives. Why is this so damn important?"

Zazie titled her head as she gazed at the human, "You realize that Knives treats you better than he treats anyone else, don't you? Even his own brother."

The first golden rays beamed across the horizon, bathing the pair in the morning light. Meryl watched the scene with a tired hardness in her eyes. "Don't be obtuse," she said. "He treats me well because of what I carry. I'd be dead otherwise."


	19. chapter eighteen :: angelic

**Double Helix**

chapter eighteen  
~ angelic ~ 

* * *

A whisper of movement caught his eye, bringing him to full wakefulness. His breath caught in throat as he waited for the motion to repeat itself. Eyes and ears strained, Vash could detect nothing but the oppressive stillness. 

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. It was then that the flutter repeated itself, this time a bit more pronounced. He paused, his fingers still tangled in his hair as he stared hard at the glass. 

Nothing.

Perhaps the unusual environment of the core and the emotional strain were causing him to see things. After all, it was hard to detect any detail in the blandness surrounding him. He felt like he existed within a void. 

Knives made it that way on purpose. His goal was to keep Vash ignorant of his environment in an attempt to maintain more control over him. 

The lack of visual depth and contrast between the opaque and the transparent lead to the illusion that his surroundings had no end. Vash didn't need to _see_ with his eyes to recognize the illusion for what it was. Instinct told him where his boundaries were. With that basis of knowledge, Vash knew he could devise his escape. If he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could see small flashes of detail. Those flashes were like puzzle pieces in his mind and he knew that he would eventually have enough pieces to form a complete picture. His only problem was his inability to focus his mind in order to arrange the picture at a faster pace.

Vash drifted toward the boundary where he thought he saw the flutter of movement. Eyes narrowed, he studied the bleakness. Fingers pressed against the glass and a current of electricity shivered up his arm. Vash trembled. 

Someone was there. He was certain of it. Someone was watching him just beyond his normal perceptions.

Heart pounding, Vash pushed with his mind, willing his innate abilities to sense what he could not see. Lips pressed together in a tight line as he tried to focus, pushing his intuition. 

Nothing.

Vash pushed harder, his pulse hammering in his ears as the seconds ticked by. 

Still, nothing.

Only streaks of shadow and light filled his mind, a reflection of the environment surrounding him. Sighing deeply, Vash pressed his forehead against the glass. The electricity made his skin tingle in an almost pleasant fashion. 

_The solitude must be getting to me._

A tiny smirk played withhis mouth as his eyes blinked sleepily. 

_Or perhaps it's the narcotics Knives is forcing me to breathe in here..._

A slender finger pressed against the glass, causing green eyes to widen in shock. Muscles froze in place as Vash watched a hand and arm slowly materialize through the haze. Then an arm appeared, followed by a neck... and finally a face. 

Vash swallowed hard as he peered into the face of an Angel. 

"H- hello," he whispered. 

She tilted her head to one side, watching him with an unreadable expression.

Vash mentally kicked himself as he offered a friendly smile. _Hello,_ he repeated telepathically. 

Silence answered him. If she heard him, she gave no indication. She simply studied him, her eyes trailing across is face and body. 

Undaunted, the free-born plant continued in his attempt to communicate with the Angel. _My name is Vash. What's yours?_

Her eyes met his. Vash was certain she heard him... but why wouldn't she respond? Had she been on the other side of the glass wall this entire time? 

_Why won't you answer me?_

She pushed back from the glass. 

_Wait! Don't go..._

Expressionless eyes disappeared into the haze, leaving Vash alone once more.

* * * 

"Well, she's on this weird cleaning kick now," Zazie remarked to Knives and Conrad. The three sat comfortably as they watched the nurse take Meryl's vitals from across the room. "The suite just can't be clean enough for her and she's driving me crazy."

"Sounds like she's nesting," the doctor noted. "Typical reaction."

"Yeah, that's what I told her and she got angry.  She's been more grumpy than normal, probably because she's having some problems sleeping through the night."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. She decided to watch the suns come up this morning."

"You're letting her go outside?" Conrad asked Knives in surprise.

"I see no reason to keep her inside all the time now that Vash is confined. Besides," Knives continued as he turned his eyes toward the doctor, "it isn't as though she has anywhere to go."

Conrad pursed his lips together and nodded curtly. The nurse began to prepare Meryl for a blood sample. 

"Anything else?"

"She still complains about the same things. Her chest hurts, her joints hurt, she's always hungry... stuff like that. The one thing she doesn't complain about and probably should is the rash on her back."

Conrad raised a brow, "How long has she had this rash?"

"I'm not sure.  I only noticed it recently because she kept scratching the same spot.  She said it was just dry skin or a reaction to her soap or something like that... but I think it's spreading."

"Meryl," Conrad called out, "what's this about a rash on your back?"

The pregnant woman turned her attention toward the doctor, but not before throwing Zazie an angry glare. 

"Its nothing," she answered simply as Conrad started to walk toward her. The nurse's lips twitched upward when she saw Meryl's scowl, then she quickly stepped aside to allow Dr. Conrad easier access to the patient.

"Look, I told you its nothing," Meryl said impatiently as Conrad began to untie her gown.  "I've had rashes like it before and it's always been caused by an allergic reaction."

"I'll be the judge of that," Conrad murmurred, pushing back her gown and exposing her back. He studied the angry-looking skin for several seconds and noted the unusual texture of the surrounding flesh. The rash over her right shoulder blade had a very distinct crescent shape and appeared to be a rather old irritation, while the rash over her left shoulder blade appeared to be new and still shapeless. Conrad glanced up at Knives and flashed him a meaningful look before letting his fingers brush across the inflamed surface. 

"Does it hurt?"

Meryl's skin crawled at the light touch, "Not unless I scratch the area too much."

He pressed his thumb against the center of the rash, causing Meryl to wince, "Even now?"

"It's just tender."

"Mmmm... has it been oozing anything, bleeding?"

"N- no." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Of course I'm sure!"

Meryl felt goose bumps rise on her back as Knives stepped toward her. She could feel him studying her intensely and she had to fight the urge to shiver as the room seemed to fall into an eerie silence. 

"I want everyone to leave."

Meryl's head shot up to peer at Knives who was looking from person to person with an expectant look. "I said leave!"

The sound of shuffling feet and the door swinging shut echoed in Meryl's ears as she hugged herself, a sense of foreboding filling her mind.  Without the presence of everyone else, she suddenly felt frightened.  She recognized that her fear was not directed specifically toward Knives, she _knew_ he wouldn't hurt her. Instead, it was directed toward the strange look the appeared in his eyes when he saw her back. 

She was afraid of what he was going to tell her.

"How long have you had the rash?"  Knives asked critically.

"A few days," Meryl admitted sheepishly, not willing to admit the exact number of those days. "It started out as a scratch."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Meryl attempted to push her gown back over her shoulders, only to be stopped by an unusually warm hand. "I- I was afraid to, I guess."

"Have you looked at it?"

"Of course I have," Meryl said with a condescending tone.

"Do you know what it is?"

Meryl looked away from him and frowned.  "No."

"Are you familiar with what dynamicytes are?"

"No."

"Dynam is Latin for power or strength.  Dynamicytes," Knives explained, as he moved his fingers across her shoulder blade, "are the cells that essentially make a plant a plant.  Or to be more precise, their existence is what makes a plant desirable for human use and consumption."

Meryl felt her heart begin to pound in her chest as Knives continued; "There is a gland in all Angels called the Virona gland. It's responsible for producing dynamicytes and regulating the metabolism of the Angel. The metabolism of the Angel is what unleashes the energy within those cells, which is what humans use for electricity. If too much energy is produced and unleashed over an extended period, it begins to damage the Virona gland. When the gland is damaged and no longer able to produce enough dynamicytes to keep up with the demand, the Hair Darkening Effect occurs as the Angel begins to consume its own body." 

Meryl felt her throat tighten as he finished his explanation, but she quickly tried to counter her nervousness with anger. "What do these cells have to do with my rash?"

"Your rash is being caused by the presence of dynamicytes in your blood. The cells are coming from _you._"

Meryl looked at him incredulously.  "What?!  How is _that_ possible? I'm _human!_"

"Not quite."

"What the hell do you mean, _'not quite?!_'  What are you trying to say?!"

Knives smirked as he watched her change from being timid and uncertain to angry and rebellious. "The seedling is changing you."

"_Excuse_ me? Come again?"

"Your DNA structure was abnormal _before_ you were brought here, but those abnormalities appeared to lay dormant under—"

"I know you're intelligent, Knives, and you think I have the IQ of a dog, but why don't you just answer the question outright? I can do without your cryptic explainations." Meryl interrupted impatiently.

"I don't believe I was _being_ cryptic. Perhaps I was I just going to fast for you."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "No, you're beating around the bush. Get to the damn point! Why are there dynamicytes in _my_ blood, Knives?"  Meryl asked through gritted teeth.

"We don't know where they are coming from. You obviously don't have a Virona gland; at least, you don't have a Virona gland that is recognizable as one. We'd have to dissect you in order to answer that particular question with any certainty."

"I'm sure you're all _very_ anxious for the day when you can do that."

One corner of Knives' lips twitched up, "Indeed."

The brunette exhaled loudly and closed her eyes, trying to maintain her calm. "Are you sure they're coming from me? Can't these cells be coming from the baby?" she asked in an even tone. 

"Your circulatory system and the seedling's circulatory system do not intermingle directly.  They can't be from the seedling."

"Like they _can't_ be from _me_?  It sounds like you guys know everything!"

"As I stated before, dissection would offer us much in way of explanation.  Regardless, the rash on your back is physical evidence of the presence of those cells in your blood.  If you were able to unleash the energy within those cells, theoretically you would probably be able to grow wings, but I have my doubts about that."

Meryl felt herself begin to tremble as she stared at him. After a long contest of wills, she tore her eyes away from his as she swallowed back angry tears, her gaze dropping to her hands in her lap. 

"Did you _expect_ something like this to happen?"

"Not at all.  In fact, there is no logical reason for it to be happening in the first place."

Knives continued to stand over her, waiting.  Meryl didn't know whether she should scream at him in anger or cry her eyes out in despair.  She was still _technically_ human, wasn't she?  The fact that she was able to carry the seedling within her was just some strange genetic fluke... it didn't mean she was any _less_ human, did it? 

Still, the doubt had been planted in her mind and she felt afraid. The baby was growing unusually fast. She was only in her fifth month and already she appeared to be full term. Wouldn't such a quick gestation harm her body? Hadn't Conrad and that nurse both made comments about how well she was doing, all things considered. She never thought about what they meant by that, but now... 

Maybe there was a _reason_ she was doing so well. Maybe she really was... _less_ human.

"Knives... what... what am I?" Meryl asked, sotto voce.


	20. chapter nineteen :: gospel

** Double Helix **

chapter nineteen  
~ gospel ~

* * *

He moved soundlessly, entering the room with a fluid grace. Brief words of greeting went ignored as the free-born plant moved a chair next to the examination table. He sat comfortably beside her, casual. 

Meryl said nothing as she studied his profile. So alike in appearance, Knives and Vash were... but so utterly different. 

The little human scrutinized the free-born plant, noting how well he had healed after his fight with his brother and the way his hair hung around his ear. He needed a trim. 

Knives must have felt the intensity of her gaze because he chose that moment to finally look at her. Ice-blue found violet, and Meryl felt herself blush. The free-born plant noticed the ruddy hue and smirked at her, his eyes more amused than cruel, before turning his attention to the doctor and nurse. 

Knives rarely spoke during the exams. He could see into Conrad's mind easily enough that he didn't need to voice many questions. If he did speak up, it was for Meryl's benefit. He enjoyed the expressions that played across her features when Conrad answered one difficult question after another. She loathed the old man and she did little to hide it. Even without the ability to read her thoughts, he could read_ her_ with ease. 

Both Knives and Vash learned all about human physiology when they were children. Knives found the subject far more fascinating than his twin and often daydreamed about what life would be like once the SEEDs ships arrived at their destination. 

From that young age, Knives found the subtle complexities and fragility of life itself to be intriguing. It wasn't until he learned about Tessla that his fascination with biology all but disappeared. The first pregnant woman Knives could remember seeing was nearly a year after planet fall, and he had been less than enthusiastic at the sight. Knowing that the humans were reproducing gave him very little to cheer about, especially after he realized that his own kind were not reproducing at all. 

For over a hundred years, he lived each day trying to figure out a way to get his brother to open his eyes and see the truth. He obsessed about it. He couldn't understand how his twin could look out upon the world and see things so differently. Where Knives saw filth, violence and selfishness — Vash saw community, friendship and potential. No matter what Knives showed Vash, no matter what he said to him, his twin would not see the world any other way.

But then again, neither would Knives.

As the free-born plant watched the nurse squeeze some lubricating jelly on Meryl's swollen belly, he felt that childhood fascination return. It was strange to watch her body change to accommodate the seedling; stranger still was watching _her_ change as the seedling grew within her.

"It's in a good position today," the nurse commented as she eyed the monitor. "But it won't sit still. Amniotic fluid looks good."

The seedling twitched once more and shifted. 

"Can you measure the femur?"

"Uhh... 37 and a half, no 38 millimeters." 

"Are you sure?"

"It keeps moving, it's difficult to get an accurate reading but I'm pretty certain femur length is 38."

Conrad nodded absently as he wrote down the number, "Get a picture of it, please, with the measurement."

"Yes, doctor."

"Cranium?" 

Meryl shifted uncomfortably on the table, eliciting an annoyed glare from the nurse.

"You need to hold still."

Meryl rolled her eyes as she settled herself more comfortably on the table, not caring about the angry look the nurse continued to throw her way. Ever since the day Meryl referred to _The Body_ as a group of 'plant worshippers,' the nurse had been distinctively less than lukewarm toward her. 

"I need the circumference of the cranium, please."

The nurse nodded, "Of course, doctor." 

She pressed the transducer a little too firmly against Meryl's belly to get a clearer picture as she gazed at the monitor. "Looks to be about... 148 millimeters. I've got a photo of it, too."

The doctor said nothing as he jotted down the number. A soft chuckle caught his attention and he glanced over at the nurse, "What?"

"Well, if there was any doubt about the sex of the fetus you can kiss that goodbye now. _She's_ not being shy anymore."

The doctor turned his attention toward the monitor and smiled in faint amusement, "No, she certainly isn't. Did you get a picture?"

"Yep."

Meryl pushed herself up a bit and strained her neck to get a look at the monitor, her curiosity getting the best of her. Her sudden movements caused the transducer to slide, giving everyone a view of her pelvic bone. Angela and Dr. Conrad said nothing at her sudden interest, though they did exchange a surprised glance. 

"Lay back down, Meryl," the nurse said softly, "and I'll move the monitor so you can see it."

Meryl did as she was instructed while the nurse made good on her promise. 

"Can you see okay?" 

Meryl nodded, eyes glued.

The nurse smiled warmly and glided the transducer over her belly. "See this?" she asked as she pointed to the screen.

A nod.

"This is the head. You can just make out the face... here are the shoulders." Angela moved the transducer a fraction lower and pressed, "This isn't a leg, that's part of the umbilical cord. Here's one leg and you can see part of the other leg," she pointed with her index finger, "here."

Angela smiled at Meryl, "Can you see her?"

Another nod.

"She moves around a lot, doesn't she?"

"Yes."

"Does she keep you up at night?"

"Sometimes."

Angela nodded and smiled, showing off her most maternal look, "That's how I was with my son. He always seemed to become most active the moment I got to bed. I didn't get any sleep my last two weeks before the birth, he was moving around so much!"

Meryl said nothing as she studied the image on the monitor, a sad and distant look filtering across her eyes. 

"Thanks," she mumbled quietly before lying back down. The room fell into a strange silence as Dr. Conrad and Angela finished their examination. 

"I'd like the ultrasound pictures sent to me, " Knives said at last, a smirk tugging at his lips.

The nurse smiled at the free-born plant self-consciously, "Of course."

* * * 

Vash let his eyes drift closed and breathed deeply. He recognized the sensations shivering up his nerves. His hands and feet tingled, his body felt relaxed, calm...

He was breathing xenon. Flexing his fingers, Vash resisted the urge to nap. Over the past couple of days, the captive plant had done a remarkable job at resisting the effects of the anesthetic. He was starting to develop a tolerance for the gas, albeit slight. 

Fortunately, Knives found the side effects of the xenon to be most frustrating. It was difficult to carry on a conversation with someone who was always on the verge of falling asleep or distracted by delirium. Therefore, Knives ordered the dosage to be decreased. Vash felt the change in his body almost immediately. In a matter of hours he was better able to focus his mind and organize his thoughts. The dosage was just low enough that Vash finally had a chance to resist the psychological effects. Unfortunately, the dosage was still high enough to prevent him from utilizing his natural talents and force his way to freedom.

It was both a blessing and a curse. 

Knives' visits became more frequent and they were longer in duration. The conversations between them always led to the same well-worn path. The argument was as vexatious as it was repetitive. Knives would make the point that the plants were all dying and what was being done _had_ to be done to help continue their species. Vash, on the other hand, refused to accept such claims and went on to say that Knives had no right to play god with _any_ species. If the plants were doomed to extinction then Knives had no one to blame but himself for causing the Great Fall. To this, Knives would refute, "Planet fall didn't cause so many of us to become sterile. It just made reproduction much more difficult. The root of our sterility is _human_ manipulation_._"

It was a no-win battle. The words of their last conversation still echoed in Vash's mind. 

_How is it we could be raised by the same woman and turn out so completely different?_

_Because I questioned her ideas and philosophies and you never did. I sought my own truth while you let her dictate what and how you think._

_You did the same thing._

_I grew up, Vash._

_But her truth _is_ right._

_Is it? For everyone? Including the plants? Or is it right for the humans? Don't be so naïve, there is more than one version of the truth._

_So, you are willing to destroy one species to save another. That's your truth?_

_Self-preservation is not evil, Vash._

_Then what the humans are doing is not evil._

_I never said it was. However, who needs whom to survive on this planet? The humans _need_ us. This isn't their Eden, it's ours. Yet, because of their need they're destroying us. Is that right? If we have the power to fight back, to survive... shouldn't we?_

_Not at the cost of another species._

_It is either us or them, Vash. And I choose us._

Aqua eyes blinked open as the air around him began to change, pulling Vash back from his memories. Someone had come to visit him, Knives or Conrad most likely. Both were unwelcome, so Vash closed his eyes again and waited for the familiar hum of electricity as the chamber was activated and the fog lifted.

"Hello, Vash."

Knives waited politely for his brother to turn toward him, but was not surprised to see Vash pointedly ignore him instead."I have some additional pictures to show you."

Fingers moved deftly across the keypad and within a matter of seconds a black and white image appeared on the monitor. Knives continued to call up the ultrasound images and then tiled each picture on the screen. The older twin looked up to find his brother watching him, "I knew you were interested. You never could bluff very well."

"Why don't you let her visit?" Vash asked as he eyed the monitor.

"We've been over this before. I don't trust you yet, Vash."

Vash's eyes met Knives' gaze, "Why? Do you think I would hurt her?"

Knives paused, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not intentionally."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're not yourself, Vash. I found out that you forced your way into a core a few months ago, and then forced your mind into one of our sisters._"_

"I _had_ to._"_

Knives sighed, frustrated. He ran a hand through his hair,_"_I don't want to argue with you about this again. You didn't have to do anything. You had Chapel with you._" _

Vash frowned, but said nothing.

_"_In any case, you're not acting like yourself. You force your mind into one of our sisters and then you try to kill yourself and me? And you're wondering why I won't let you see Meryl?"

Silence fell between them. Knives watched Vash as Vash peered at the ultrasound images. 

"How much longer..?" Vash asked.

"... Soon."

"You're not going to tell me when?"

Knives' lips twitched, "Of course not."

"Is she still... awake? She hasn't started to get sick, has she?" 

"No, she still seems quite healthy. Conrad expected her to be on life-support by now." 

Vash clenched his jaw tightly, "I don't want her to die..."

"Believe it or not Vash, but neither do I."

* * * 

She entered the room with trepidation, her mind still whirling with questions as to why Legato would want to see _her. In her hands she clutched the book he had given her weeks ago, the Book of Angels. When she heard that he wanted to see her she immediately remembered the book. She hadn't even thought about it since the day he gave it to her, though she did flip through it once. _

The only page Meryl actually read was the cover page. There was an inscription written there to Legato by his mother:

_To my blessing,   
I pray this book opens your eyes as it has opened mine.  
Happy 10th Birthday, Legato.   
Love, Mama._

As Meryl quickly flipped through the rest of the book she noticed there were several pages that had passages underlined with notes written off to the margin. Legato had obviously loved this book, so Meryl felt it fitting to bring it back to him.

Holding the book in a white knuckled grip, Meryl stared at Legato's still form. He laid motionless, the covers pulled up around him outlining the bizarre shape of his body. He appeared to be asleep, though Meryl suspected that it was more likely that he was meditating or praying.

She was about to clear her throat when he turned his head to look at her, his eyes glittering as he smiled. Meryl immediately felt herself grow tense under his gaze.

"I was wondering if you would come," he said at last.

Meryl pursed her lips together to form a tight line. "I wasn't going to," she remarked dryly.

"I am thankful that you did, then." He glanced at the chair next to the head of his bed. "Sit."

She did so carefully, her movements appearing stiff and overly cautious. "Why did you ask for _me?"_

"I need to speak with you. I thought it best I explain some things to you."

She raised her eyebrow, but waited for him to continue. She had to will herself not to stare at the odd shape his body made under the blankets.

"You haven't read the book I gave you."

"No, but I brought it with me. I thought you might want it back."

He smiled at her in a friendly fashion, "I have already read it, but you still need to read it. It will help you to understand."

She gestured toward her protruding belly as she spoke, "You said that once before, but I don't see what it is I have to understand. Why would it be important for me to understand anything at this point?" 

"He wants to use you again, as a surrogate. You are more than what he hoped you would be. He wants you to be a mother."

Legato didn't miss the doubt in her eyes. "If you read the book, you might understand everything better and I wouldn't have to explain it to you."

Meryl took a deep breath to help calm herself as she gazed at the cripple skeptically. "Why are you telling me this? Is this some sort of sick game? One last barb for you to get in before you croak?"

His smile deepened, amusement evident in his eyes. "No."

"You certainly sound pleased, though."

"I am. Why wouldn't I be? You're the only one here who doesn't understand the significance of her position and role in the grand scheme of things."

"I understand well enough."

"You forget. I've been inside that little mind of yours, Meryl. I _know_ you."

Meryl exhaled loudly and began to rise, her patience all but gone. It had been a mistake to come here, what was she thinking? She had actually felt sorry for the cripple after hearing Zazie tell her of the extent of his injuries. How dumb could she be? As she pushed herself off the chair, Legato's voice stopped her.

"You could be a _mother_ to this child, Meryl."

* * *

**AN:** Xenon is a noble gas that is odorless, colorless and nontoxic. It occurs naturally in air and is used in anesthesia, light bulbs and as window insulation. Recently, clinical trials in the UK have shown that xenon acts as a neuroprotectant, helping to protect damaged nerve cells from dying. Such properties would make xenon very effective in treating stroke victims or people who have suffered brain and/or spinal cord injuries. Side effects observed from using xenon gas include: lightheadedness, eupuoria, heavy feeling, and a tingling of the extremities.

Just, FYI. ~_^


	21. chapter twenty :: ebb and flow

**Double Helix**

chapter twenty  
~ ebb and flow ~ 

* * *

To say that he was bored would be a grave understatement. The isolation was quickly becoming overwhelming. For days he waited for the Angel to make her reappearance, but she remained elusive. Without her, Vash was completely alone. No one came to visit him save for Conrad and Knives. 

During the hours Vash was alone in a cage, he explored. He was starting to get a sense of what was around him _beyond_ his enclosure. If he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could sense depth and height. The details were still blurred... shaky... but with each passing day he saw a little more. The puzzle was slowing coming together, especially now that Vash was beginning to develop a tolerance toward the xenon. 

With a more alert mind, Vash often found his thoughts wandering backwards. Thoughts of Rem and life on board the SEEDs ship frequently invaded his consciousness. He tried his best to not remember, to _not_ focus on his regrets, but the isolation made such an effort impossible. Questions kept repeating themselves in his mind, nagging him. 

_What would Rem do about Knives?_

Instinctively, he knew she would try to reach out to Knives until the very end. She believed that it was _never_ too late for someone to change. But... could Knives really change? After everything Knives has done... after everything he's still trying to do... could he change? 

Was it even possible? 

_Does Knives even want to change?_

Vash snorted into the darkness. Of course Knives didn't want to change. For him to change, he would have to admit that he was wrong and Knives would _never_ do that. Especially since what Knives wanted to do wasn't wrong. 

Logically, Knives wasn't mistaken at all. Vash _understood_ that. It was just the way Knives wanted to solve the problem... _that_ was what Vash found so abhorrent. Even if it meant the death of every plant on the planet, Vash would not help his brother. 

In the end, everything rested on Knives' shoulders. _He_ had to be the one to decide to change. Nothing Vash could do would alter that fact. 

_Can I keep trying to help Knives?_

Aqua eyes blinked. 

_Do I want to help Knives?_

A dagger of guilt stabbed at his heart as cold truth spat out the answer. No, he didn't want to help Knives anymore. He was tired of having his hand slapped away every time he reached out to him. He was enraged by the constant demonstrations and rhetoric about how _he_ was wrong and _Knives_ was right. 

All Vash wanted was for Knives to stop. More than that, he wanted to be the one to _force_ Knives to stop. Trying to help him rarely entered his mind anymore. 

Pushing his hair out of his eyes, Vash sighed. Rem would be disappointed in him if he didn't try to help Knives. For her sake, he would keep trying. Somehow. 

But what about Meryl? What was he going to do to help Meryl?

He _wanted_ to help her, he wanted to undo what Knives had done... but it seemed impossible. It was too late. The seedling was growing quickly and close to being born. What could Vash possibly do to help her now?

_You are here because of her. You want to stop him?_

Vash's head shot up in surprise. He wanted to turn around and face her, but was afraid the sudden movement would frighten her off. Instead, he remained still and answered her politely. _Yes. _

Silence filled Vash's mind and he feared she had left. Cautiously, he turned around, his eyes hopeful. In the haze of passing shadows, Vash saw the tale-tell form of the Angel. She was floating directly in front of the glass, moving steadily closer. Her fingers tickled across the glass as she leaned toward the divide, her face mere few inches from the surface. She studied him intently. 

Vash suddenly felt very naked and deformed under her scrutiny. He rubbed the back of his head and offered her a nervous smile. The Angel blinked, and tilted her head to one side as she peered at him. 

_Why?_

The smile faltered as Vash furrowed his brows together, _I don't want him to hurt people. It's not right. _

The Angel sat in silence as she processed his words, a distant look appearing upon her face. Vash took the opportunity to move closer to her, careful not to make any sudden movements. 

_What's your name?_ he asked, his smile returning. 

She remained still as she hovered just beyond his reach, her gaze peering within for a long second before she focused her attention on Vash. Pale eyes blinked at him, _He calls me Gwen. _

Gwen, Vash repeated. _I think I recognize you, Gwen. I've sensed you before, haven't I?_

_You were there, but I only know you through him. _  She pressed her hand against the glass, _She is not hurt. _

Vash scrunched his face in confusion, _Pardon?_

_I do not understand your reasoning. She is not hurt. _

_Meryl?_ Vash asked as he regarded her.

_Yes. _

Vash was surprised the angel knew her name. _You know about Meryl?_

_Yes,_ the Angel replied matter-of-factly, _Knives frequently tells me about her. _

_Do you... agree with him?_

The Angel paused, confused. _What do you mean?_

_Do you agree with what he did to her?_

_Isn't it necessary?_

_No! _

She flinched from the force of his response, but said nothing. Vash gave her an apologetic look, _He shouldn't have put that thing inside of her. It'll kill her. There are _always_ other ways. _

Gwen pulled her hand away from the glass, _He tried not__ to use her. He didn't want__ to use her. Several of us think it was the right thing to do. There are no little ones anymore. There was__ no other way. _

Vash frowned and thought of Rem. Knives never seemed to take her lesson to heart; it always had to be his way regardless of the means necessary to reach his ends Rem and Meryl both did not deserve to become a means to an end for him. 

_I don't believe that,_ the free-born plant responded evenly. 

_You would rather we die?_

_I didn't say that. _

Gwen pulled further away from the glass as wary eyes watched the free-born plant. _You... you are confusing. Your mind is always filled with thoughts of humans, never us. You worry about them. You long to help them... You are a stranger to us. Many of us do not understand you anymore. Why do you forsake us? Why do you care more for strangers than family? _

Another dagger of guilt and Vash had to break eye contact with the Angel. 

_I—_ I don't mean to _he faltered, feeling uncomfortable with the intense way Gwen was watching him. He'd never considered that his family had started to think of him as a stranger. _

Had he been _that_ distant with his own people?

Vash pursed his lips together and tried to dismiss the notion with no avail. As much as he wanted to deny her statements, it was true that he hadn't spoken to his family in years. Not unless he _had_ to. 

And the last time he did _talk_ to one... he forced himself into her mind... 

Vash shivered, feeling ashamed. 

_Is that why no one would tell me about the seedling?_ the free-born plant asked, his eyes still avoiding hers. 

_Yes_. 

Vash felt more guilt edge into his soul, settling there in comfort. Aqua eyes slowly rose to meet hers. _I'm sorry but some of the humans are my family now, too. _

_Is she?_

The free-born plant paused for a long moment, turning Gwen's question over in his mind. He never really thought of Meryl as anything more than a friend, but he didn't think Gwen would understand his desire to help her if he answered her question honestly. 

_Yes,_ he replied in the calm, _she's family to me._

* * * 

"Hey, what are you doing? Get up," the hive ordered, eyeing Meryl impatiently. 

The woman remained still and quiet, comfortably nestled in her blankets.

Zazie shook her shoulder, "Hey!"

Violet eyes blinked opened, bleary.

"Get. Up."

A moan of dismissal answered her. Zazie clenched her jaw.

"You're going to miss lunch if you don't get up, _Meryl._"

The human sighed, "I'm tired..."

Zazie yanked back Meryl's covers and she flinched from the cold. "You're _always_ tired. Now get the hell out of this bed. I'm tired of dealing with you like this."

Meryl's eyebrow twitched irritably, but she acquiesced anyway. Zazie helped her to her feet, then led her to her waiting meal. She sat down and began to eat, still groggy. The taste and smell of food quickly roused her and soon she was completely focused on consuming.

Zazie watched her critically, once again surprised at how much food she could consume in a single sitting. She didn't used to eat that much. In fact, it's only been within the last few weeks that Meryl's appetite increased.

The hive frowned. Was that significant? Or did _all_ humans eat like that when they were at the end of their pregnancy? 

"Hey, Meryl."

The woman glanced at the hive as she filled her mouth with food.

"Is this normal for humans?"

Meryl gave her a questioning look, her mouth still grinding up her food.

"Do all humans eat like you do at this stage of their pregnancy? I'm wondering if I should tell Conrad about this or not."

Swallowing, Meryl took a sip of juice and tried not to let her temper get the best of her. "I think _most_ pregnant women eat a lot."

"That may be true," Zazie agreed, ignoring Meryl's snippy tone, "but all you do anymore is eat and sleep. You never used to do that."

Meryl took a bite of her apple with a thoughtful expression.

"And you sleep a lot deeper now, too. It's a pain in the ass trying to wake you up anymore."

Another bite, another thoughtful expression.

"Is stuff like that normal for you humans?" 

"I've never been pregnant before."

"But you've been around pregnant women..."

"...Yeah, but that's different. I didn't live with them or anything, I only saw them at work or at the store."

Zazie pushed her hair over her shoulder. "And they were as big as you?"

Meryl shot the hive an angry glare, but said nothing. 

"What?" Zazie asked in sincere innocence.

"Yes, they were _'as big'_ as me. Most women can work right up to their ninth month."

"So... this _is_ abnormal." 

Meryl put down the apple core and turned her full attention to the blonde psuedo-human. Her voice dripped with condescension, "What are you getting at? What's the problem? I've been tired _throughout_ this pregnancy. I've also had weird food cravings for months. Why are you all-of-the-sudden so interested in this?" 

"Because," Zazie began, her patronizing tone matching Meryl's, "you _never _used to sleep all day and you've never been so hard to wake up. When you had _'weird'_ food cravings, you just ate the food you craved and that was it. Now you eat everything set in front of you. And you know what? For all the sleep and food you get, you _still_ look haggard." 

Eyebrows twitched. "Haggard!?" 

Zazie smirked.

_I just need a shower, _Meryl thought, running a hand through her hair. The texture of her locks surprised her. Normally her hair felt a little oily after a night's sleep, but her hair felt clean, soft. She ran another hand through her hair and smelled her shampoo. 

The hardness in Meryl's expression suddenly cracked, surprising Zazie. The little insurance agent glanced about the table, eyeing the empty plates and crumbs. She looked down at her clothes, then turned troubled eyes to Zazie. 

"Zazie, did I... did I take a shower today?" 

The hive blinked, "Yeah, you took one this morning." 

Meryl's face paled slightly, "This morning?"

"Yeah." 

The human pushed away the plate in front of her and looked at the clock on the far wall. It was past noon. "I don't remember that," she said quietly, distantly. 

"What do you mean, you don't remember?" 

Angry eyes turned toward the baby sitter, "I mean I _don't_ remember! I don't remember getting out of bed this morning. I thought this _was_ breakfast until you started asking all those questions!" 

"Does that _look_ like breakfast food to you?" 

"Shut up!" Meryl barked, her mind despretly trying to remember the events of that morning... and the night before... and yesterday morning. Her lip quivered as her heart pounded hard in her chest. 

Was this _also_ part of those dynamicytes things that Knives told her about? 

The last six weeks seemed like a blur to her. So much happened in such a short amount of time. The rash on her back, the dynamicytes, Vash... over the last two weeks the rash on her back had begun to sweat a small amount of blood. It wasn't painful, but it was very distressing. 

Conrad assured her that there was nothing to be worried about. She would 'just have to put up with it,' he said. She had little choice in that regard, but now she couldn't even remember getting up and taking a shower. 

The pregnancy was beginning to kill her, she was certain on it. She was starting to lose her mind. Her mind was slipping away, she would soon be comatose... and then... _dead._

"I'm going to tell Conrad about this," the hive said at last.

Meryl said nothing. All she could do was bury her face in her hands and sob. 

* * * 

"This isn't some fairy tale.   We can't just waltz up there, _'storm the castle'_, and rescue our friends. It just doesn't work that way."

Milly pressed her lips together and glared at him, "I _know_ that."

"Well then explain to me what you're talking about with this whole 'sneaking in' business." Wolfwood said, trying not to notice the way her hair shined in the light of the setting sun. He looked away from her and shifted into a more comfortable position on the rock before letting his eyes examine the horizon. 

"There's only two of us," she said matter-of-factly, "so we have to be sneaky, don't we?"

"That's a give in."

"That's all I was trying to say. I know we are outnumbered, but you know that place better than I do. Don't you have any ideas?"

"I've only been there a few times," Wolfwood admitted. He knew she knew what his role was in all of this, but he still didn't like to talk about it with her. It made him feel uncomfortable and ten times as guilty. 

"I've never been to the plant chamber, nor have I ever seen the core itself except from the outside. I have an idea of where they _might _keep Meryl, but that still doesn't help us." Wolfwood said as he turned his eyes back to Milly, "I can tell you right now there's no way we're going to be able to sneak in. Legato and Knives would sense us immediately. Maybe if a large group of people went there at once, they wouldn't be able to pick us out in the crowd... but that's not going to happen, either."

Milly frowned, "I'm not giving up."

"I figured as much."

"There has to be something someway. We can't just turn our backs on them."

"Look, Milly," Wolfwood began with a heavy sigh, "I wish you would go home and let me handle this. Please. I don't want to see you get hurt again. I don't want to go back there with you and risk watching something bad happen to you. I would be much happier if you went home now and spent the rest of your life forgetting about me and everything else."

Milly stood up and glared at him, angry that he would dare suggest that she forget about her friends and just leave. "I can't do that! I have friends out there! I can't turn my back on them! My big sister taught me that friendship is the most valuable thing in all the world. If I turn back and don't even try to help them, I would _never_ forgive myself!"

"I thought you would say something like that," Wolfwood said quietly. 

"Then _why_ did you even suggest such a thing?"

Hard gray eyes met soft blue, "Because, I _care_ about you Milly. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to you. Understand?"

Milly stood motionless for a long moment before finally sitting beside him once again. Nervous fingers fidgeted with the buttons of her coat. Her heart prompted her to speak, but she resisted out of sheer stubbornness. Still, the prompting continued. Try as she might, she could not ignore it and the strange look on Wolfwood's face as he watched her made it all the more difficult. Milly sighed and tried to organize her thoughts as she worked up the courage to speak. After all, her sister always told her to follow her heart. It would lead her in the right direction. 

"Before this all happened, Wolfwood, I I really thought we had something nice, something special. Or, I thought it could turn into that." Milly glanced up at him and smiled shyly, "You know?"

Wolfwood nodded mutely. He felt himself hanging on her every word. 

Milly's cheeks began to glow as she continued, "Then I found out that you worked for Knives and everything else and I hated you for a while. I felt betrayed. I felt like you lied to _me_ and I hated you for it. I've never hated anybody, but what I felt after Vash told me... I was certain that I hated you."

"Milly, you—"

"Wait," Milly said, interrupting him. "I'm not finished yet."

The priest pressed his lips together and nodded, his fingers digging into his knee. 

"I realized a couple of weeks ago that I _don't_ hate you. After the anger started to go away... well, I'm _still _angry, but not _as_ angry. But anyway, I thought about everything a lot... and I realized that what I really feel is disappointment... and... sadness. I don't know why you're with the Gung-ho Guns, Wolfwood, but I know your heart isn't in it. Otherwise, I would be dead now. Right?" Milly offered a small smile as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "Now you're telling me to leave and I can't do that. If I leave and go home and let you do this alone _that_ would be worse."

Wolfwood's mouth opened and closed soundlessly as his voice died in his throat. _Was she... could she actually... forgive me? _

"I'm staying, Wolfwood. I'm going to do what I can to help Meryl and Vash."

"I don't think I could send you away right now even if I wanted to," the priest murmured. 

Milly's smile grew more radiant, "That's good! Otherwise I might have to get mean!" 

The priest smirked, then shook his head. "I don't believe you have a mean bone in your body, Miss Milly Thompson."

Smiles grew into grins as the air of tension that existed between them for the last few months dissipated. The sounds of sand crickets singing in the twilight filled the air by the time Milly worked up the nerve to ask the question that nagged her most. "Do you think... we can we be friends again... like before?" 

Wolfwood gave her a sidelong glance, "I don't know if it will be like before, but I'd like to try."

"Me, too."

Milly sighed and watched the sky, "Wolfwood? Do you think we'll be able to pull this off and help Vash and Meryl?"

"I don't know. I think we'll get caught though, but that doesn't mean we'll be stopped." 

Milly heard the smile in Wolfwood's voice and she smiled in return. 

"It just means they won't be surprised when we come knocking," he continued. 

"We're still in trouble," Milly observed. "We're low on supplies and ammunition."

"Well, I thought of that myself," Wolfwood said matter-of-factly. "There's a town... actually, it's more like a village, and it's located about a days walk from here. We could take a detour, go there, and stock up. If we do, you can bet that they'll know we're coming. The people living in that village are all plant worshipers and they _all_ work for Legato."

"What do you think we should do?"

Wolfwood smiled at her and winked playfully, just like he used to before. "Either way the element of surprise is lost. I say we make a quick detour and load up."


	22. chatper twenty one :: descent

**Double Helix**

chapter twenty-one  
~ descent ~

* * *

"She's lost six pounds in the last week."

A blonde brow rose in surprise, "I thought you just said that her fundal height measurement has _increased._"

"It did," Conrad said as he took a long look at the chart. "It increased by another one and a half centimeters. The seedling is fine, she's growing at the rate I expect her to."

Knives reached out and took the chart from the doctor's hands, then frowned after a few moments. "So Meryl's body is at the point where it can no longer support the growth of the seedling."

"That's right," Conrad said as he pushed his hands into his pockets and sat on the edge of the desk. "All of her recent symptoms can be traced to that, including the bleeding from the rashes on her back."

"What about the dynamicytes?"

"I figured you would ask about that," Conrad said wryly. "So I took a sample early this morning. The final results won't be in until tomorrow morning, but her last sample indicated that there was an increased number present in her blood and they still appear dormant."

"What about your theory? The one you told me about last week?"

"Yes, wellI still cannot explain Meryl's relative good health at this stage, but I no longer think that the seedling is metabolizing the dynamicytes. If she was, there would be _less_ dynamicytes in Meryl's blood rather than _more._"

The doctor shook his head and smiled a bit, "It's really quite amazing. Six months ago, I expected Meryl to be on life support by now. I figured that we'd be preparing to deliver the seedling by Cesarean section by now, too. Yet, she keeps putting these spins on all my theories. Every day that she is able to carry that seedling increases the chances that it will be born problem free."

"Is there anything you can do to help Meryl? To increase_ her _chances?"

"Aside from making her more comfortable these last few days? No, I don't think so. It's out of my hands. I fear anything I would do to try to help Meryl may end up hurting the seedling." 

Knives flipped though the file once more, rereading the various measurements and test results as Conrad stood by. After several minutes, the plant glanced up at the human with an annoyed expression, "Go."

As the human exited, Knives made himself comfortable as he continued to mull over twenty-eight weeks worth of measurements, observations and test results and tried to make sense of it all. Knives was no expert in human physiology, but he knew she wasn't reacting the way they had anticipated a human to react. Nor was Meryl reacting as a plant was expected to react. She was uncharted territory, an unknown variable in Knives' equation. 

The free-born plant pushed his chair away from the desk and turned toward the window behind him, watching the leaves sway in the wind. Noon was quickly approaching and Knives wanted to chat with his brother again. Though Vash still insisted on being stubborn and shortsighted, it was good to have him near. Knives suspected that Vash was beginning to see things from his point-of-view, only his devotion to Rem kept him from admitting to it. 

That long-dead human kept him from many things. Knives never thought she would continue to haunt them both over a century after her death. 

Folding his arms over his chest, Knives briefly considered telling his brother _everything,_ even if it upset him. When Knives had a difficult time dealing with a puzzle as a child talking to Vash often helped clear his mind enough to look at the situation with a new pair of eyes. Vash wouldn't have the answers Knives needed, but the distraction could be helpful.

Then again, talking to Vash could be enough to send Knives into a frustrated fury that prevented him from thinking rationally for hours. His brother was capable of doing both. 

The sound of the door being pushed open with too much force caused Knives to spin around in his chair, a look of murder in his eyes for being interrupted so rudely. When he turned and saw a very flustered Zazie, all sparks of anger immediately melted away. 

"What happened?" — "Where's Conrad?" they both asked at the same time. 

Knives stood and peered down at the humanoid, waiting for her to answer his question first. 

"She's Meryl's not waking up. She's just laying there totally unresponsive. I got her to open her eyes, but that's it." Zazie looked around the room, "Where is Conrad?"

Knives was already making his way out the door and toward Meryl's suite before Zazie finished her question. The hive followed him part way down the hall before Knives called over his shoulder, "Go find him. Now!"

"But, where..?" 

When Knives entered Meryl's room, he found her laying on her side in bed. The covers were partially pulled back and haphazardly surrounding her. Eyes closed, skin pale, Meryl looked like death warmed over. He touched her forehead then grabbed her hand, noting the coolness of her flesh. Knives frowned. Was it finally time to put her on life-support? Would they have to remove the seedling early? 

The free-born plant leaned over the human and saw a growing pair of blood stains on her back. He pulled back the collar of her shirt, revealing a narrow view of her shoulders and back.

This was bad. Blood was freely oozing from her pores. Lots of it. Knives knew the bleedings often coincided with increased activity of the seedling, but not _always_... 

Could it be that the seedling was distressed?

Concerned Knives let his eyes rest on the swell of her belly and quickly unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her skin. He knew from previous bleedings that when the seedling was very active, one could see it moving within from the outside. Meryl's flesh would stretch with every sudden thump or exaggerated turn from the seedling within. More often than not, that internal movement meant pain for Meryl, though she did her best to ignore it. 

Several seconds passed by as he watched and all appeared to be calm, the only detectable movement was the rise of fall of Meryl's chest as she breathed. Knives knew that just because he could not see the movement didn't mean that the seedling was not active. Laying his hand on her abdomen, Knives expected to feel the familiar flutter of the seedling moving; instead he felt an unusual pull compel him. 

Brows creased, Knives focused on the pulling sensation. The seedling was still too young to be able to communicate; nevertheless, the pull he was feeling was clearly coming from her. His interest piqued, Knives gave into it a little. He pushed a trivial amount of his energy down his arm and out of his hand, curious to know how the sensation would change. 

A soft groan and the sudden twitch of Meryl's hand caught Knives' eye. He immediately stopped the flow of energy and was quickly bombarded with primitive demands for more as the seedling moved beneath his hand. Knives watched Meryl for several seconds, waiting to see if she would awaken before turning back to the swell and the turning seedling within. With great care, Knives gave into the feeling once more, this time allowing a greater amount of energy flow out of him. 

Meryl did not visibly react as she did before, but Knives kept a watchful eye on her as he fed energy into her body. The demand for more energy began to lessen as the movement under his hand slowed. Knives felt pleased to see Meryl's face return to a healthy color and the rise and fall of her chest increase as her breathing became deeper. Encouraged that he could actually _do_ something to increase her chances for survival, Knives let more energy flow out of him. After a few moments, Meryl's eyes fluttered open as the sound of footsteps filled the room. 

Hazy violet eyes blinked at him with uncertainty as they focused. Her surprise was evident when she realized Knives' hand was resting comfortably on her exposed belly, filling her with a warmth she'd never felt before. 

Conrad came into view and she felt her skin crawl from the way he was looking at her. He smiled at her with a strange gleam in his eyes when he noticed her scrutiny of him. A spark of annoyance flared and died in a matter of seconds. It was difficult to feel angry when she felt such warmth flowing though her. The sensation was quite pleasant.

She looked at Knives' hand on her belly and blushed deeply. Violet eyes looked up at free-born plant with questioning eyes, "Knives...? What... what are you doing?"

* * * 

Corinth of the Cliffs was Mecca to the members of the Body. Every cell felt obligated to visit the small village at least once in their lifetime for worship and fellowship. It was not a requirement of the faith, but it _was_ a highly encouraged practice. 

Corinth itself was relatively small with a population of a little over a thousand people. There was no plant in the village, no large buildings, hospital or sheriff. A clueless wanderer could very easily pass by Corinth and not even know it was there. It existed in pure isolation in an area of the planet most people considered hostile to life. Moreover, that specific area of the planet _was_ hostile to life. It was the desert of the desert, yet the village somehow thrived. 

Milly was in quiet awe of the village the moment Wolfwood pointed to a distant cliff face and said, "That's it."

"What?"

"There," he pointed again. "In the cliffs. They don't call it 'Corinth of the Cliffs' for nothing you know."

Milly paused in her walking to peer at the cliff face, searching for familiar white washed buildings or a flash of light from a ray of sunshine bouncing off a window. After straining her eyes for several seconds she turned back to her companion, "I don't see anything."

"You just don't know what you're looking at," he said with a smile as he motioned her to start walking again. "It's there. You don't see it because you're looking for the wrong things. The village is kind of built _into_ the cliff."

Milly looked again and pressed her lips together as she studied the landscape. "It's _in_ the cliff?"

"Mm-hmm. Actually, if you want to get technical about it, it's _behind_ it."

"Behind it?"

"Yeah, there's a tunnel you have to walk through first that leads to the village." Wolfwood smiled again, "You'll just have to see it."

"They must have a lot of ancient technology and a healthy plant to be able to do all that in a place like this."

"Oh, no. They don't have a plant. That would be blasphemy," Wolfwood said in a grave tone. "When we get into town you have to watch what you say Milly. This isn't like any place you have ever been to before. These people will not hesitate to kill you if they suspect you to not be one of them. You can't say stuff like that, even in passing."

"But you said the other night that they would tell Legato that we're coming. Won't they be suspicious of us right away?"

"I'm pretty certain that I can trick them for a while," Wolfwood said with a smile as he patted his breast pocket. "You just need to start thinking like a plant worshipper and forget everything you know about the way things are normally done."

* * * 

Milly bit her lip to keep from yelping as her foot was stepped on once again. Wolfwood glanced over his shoulder at her when she suddenly squeezed his hand. He could only manage a quick look of sympathy before turning his attention back to navigating the two of them through a thick mass of people. 

Hundreds of people surrounded them on all sides as they tried to make their way through the tunnels. Wolfwood had been shocked speechless when he saw the amount of people occupying the main tunnel leading into Corinth. The sight sent a cold chill down his spine and he hesitated. 

"What's wrong?"

Wolfwood's brows furled together as he peered inside the cave. "There's... I've never seen this many people here before," he whispered. "I've been to this place more times than I can count and I've seen _maybe_ ten... twelve people in this cave at any one time. _This_ is unreal."

Milly looked back at the crowds. People were packed in together shoulder to shoulder and barely moving. It was enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed with claustrophobia. "Is this bad? Should we go back?"

"N-no. I'm certain the guards have seen us by now. If we turn back, they'll get really suspicious and investigate. We _have_ to go in."

Wolfwood grabbed Milly's hand and lead her into the cave, "Stay close and remember what I told you. I'm Chapel and you're _Miss_ Sarah Jacobs now, remember that, _Sarah._"

Over an hour later, Milly was starting to limp from having her feet stepped on so much. The air inside of the cave was oppressive and difficult to breathe. The insurance agent squeezed Wolfwood's hand tighter as she worked to keep up with him and tried not to stumble over anyone's feet. She didn't know how much more she could take.

"You doing all right?" Wolfwood shouted over his shoulder, the cacophony of voices echoed all around them. The noise was starting to make Milly's ears ring.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

He squeezed her hand fondly as he guided her through the cave, "We're almost out."

Milly said nothing as she pushed herself between groups of people, many of whom smiled at her happily as she went by. Their merriment was puzzling. People hugged each other, smiled, laughed and expressed words of joy. Had the situation been different, Milly would have sworn she was at a wedding. It was bizarre.

"Watch your step," Wolfwood called out just in time for Milly to glance down at the ground and realize she had already lost her balance. 

A hand grabbed her arm, pulled her back onto the step and held onto her until she regained her balance. "Careful there," a friendly voice laced with an old earth accent said from behind.

Milly turned toward the voice while still gripping Wolfwood's hand and smiled, "Thank you."

The man smiled at her and nodded, his brown eyes giving Milly a feeling of warmth. The lines around his eyes deepened as his smile grew, "I haven't seen you here before. Are you new?"

"Y-yes. Chapel brought me," she said as she nodded toward Wolfwood.

At the mention of his name, Wolfwood leaned forward and stuck his free hand out at the stranger. "Pleased to meet you..?"

"Keegan Weir," the stranger said as he shook Wolfwood's hand. "And the pleasure's all mine."


	23. chapter twenty two :: congregation

**Double Helix**

chapter twenty-two  
~ congregation ~ 

* * *

The xenon had no effect on him anymore, though Vash still pretended that they did, even in front of Gwen. During the past few days, Vash had noticed a change in both Knives and Conrad, though neither one mentioned what was going on to cause such a change. 

It worried Vash to see them both acting so preoccupied, especially Knives.  Conrad seemed anxious while Knives seemed worried.  Vash was tempted to ask his brother what was going on, but kept his mouth and mind closed in order to prevent his twin from discovering that he was far more alert and cognitive than he should be.  Vash didn't want Knives or Conrad to figure out that he had developed a tolerance to the drug before he had a chance to come up with a successful escape plan.   

Vash floated in a meditative silence as he constructed a map of his environment in his mind.  He had acquired clues about his surroundings from his own observations and talking to Gwen and Knives over the past few weeks. 

Four floors surrounded the bulb.  The bottom floor was where the plant chamber was and through the plant chamber, access to the plant core could be reached.  The computer Knives most frequently used was also located in the plant chamber.  Residential suites and medical facilities were located on the second floor.  Vash was certain that Meryl's suite was on the floor directly above the plant chamber.  The third floor housed additional medical and research facilities.  The fourth floor was at ground level and Vash still hadn't quite figured out what Knives kept there. 

Vash remembered from his fight with Knives outside the compound that there were solar panels lining the roof of the complex. Solar energy powered most of the Geoplant's needs. Gwen, in fact, supplied every little energy to the compound. Still, Knives trusted her with a very important task. It was _her_ job to keep _him_ in. 

She was the power source responsible for keeping Vash's side of the bulb tightly locked and secured.

Escape from the core would require Gwen to stop powering the chamber for a few minutes or for the circuits leading to the security mechanism to be disabled or destroyed. Loss of power to the plant chamber and core would result in the locks being forced to reset, which would make them easier to force. Vash knew he couldn't do anything to the circuits from _inside_ his prison, so he would have to go to the power source.

_Gwen._

* * * 

"You picked an exciting time to become part of the Body, Miss Jacobs!"

"Yes," she said with an enthusiastic grin.  "I know!"

"It must be providence," Keegan noted sagely with a pleased expression on his face.  "I suspect we'll be seeing many new converts in the years to come."

Milly nodded and continued to smile at him.  Despite the warning looks Wolfwood kept throwing her way, Milly could not help but to like Keegan.  He reminded her a lot of her eldest brother with his friendly smiles and warm eyes, except he was much older... and much shorter.  Then again, not many people were as tall as her brothers were.  She was the second tallest girl in the family and her shortest brother was still almost a half-foot taller than her.

What Milly really liked about Keegan was his enthusiasm.  He seemed to enjoy talking with Milly very much as he had been tagging along with her and Wolfwood since he kept her from stumbling in the tunnel.  She knew Wolfwood was wary of him, and Milly knew she should feel wary of him as well... but for some reason, she didn't.  He was sincere, though misguided.

"You're feeling a little... overwhelmed, aren't you?"

Milly smiled at the concerned tone in Keegan's voice.  "Yes, I suppose... a little.  There just seems to be so much going on at once around here..."

"But it is an exciting time, _Sarah,_" Wolfwood cut in, making sure that Keegan did not forget about his presence. "A new day is upon us."

"Amen to that!"

Milly smiled and nodded, too afraid to say anything for fear of giving them away.  She wasn't used to biting her tongue and it made her feel even more uncomfortable. 

Keegan's grin somehow grew wider, and he winked at the pair.  "Well, I think this is where we part ways.  You can purchase some supplies over there," he said as he motioned down the street.  "Prices are going to be astronomical.  More people turned up for the birth than originally expected so the cost of everything has tripled.  And just in case you are wondering about where to stay for the night, there is an Inn a couple blocks back that way, but you won't be able to get a room.  Most people are sleeping on the street tonight."

Wolfwood smiled at Keegan, "Well thanks for your help.  I appreciate it."

"Oh, no problem.  Try to get some rest tonight, we have a long journey in the morning."

Wolfwood's smile faltered for a split second at the mention of a journey, "Sure thing.  See you tomorrow then."

Keegan embraced Milly suddenly, causing her to worry that he might feel her gun.  When he pulled back from her he smiled broadly, "Welcome to the family, lass."  With that, Keegan walked away, leaving the pair in relative silence as they watched him disappear into the crowd.

"Let's get what we came here for," Wolfwood said quietly as he grabbed Milly's hand and started to lead her down the street.

As they wove in and between groups of people, Milly leaned close to Wolfwood and whispered, "You don't like him."

"I don't trust him."

"He seems like a nice man."

"He certainly seems that way."

Milly remained quiet as they continued down the street.  To both sides of her, Milly noticed people staking out a spot of concrete or flat rock as their own as they pulled out their blankets and prepared for the night.  Keegan wasn't kidding when he said that most people were going to sleep on the street.

"What journey do you think he was talking about?" Milly whispered as she smiled down at a young girl sitting next to her mother on the sidewalk.  

"I think they're going on a pilgrimage tomorrow morning," Wolfwood whispered back.  

"Where?"

"Canaan most likely, or close to it.  These people regard Meryl in the same light as the Christians revere and respect Jesus' mother, Mary.  As far as they're concerned, Meryl is going to give birth to a god." 

"So this pilgrimage is like when the three wise men visited the newborn Christ?"

"Exactly.  So keep your ears open, we might be able to use this to our advantage."

* * * 

Wolfwood knew he was in grave danger the instant the shop door swung shut behind him.  Four large men took up positions behind him and locked the door, effectively preventing him from an easy escape.  Several men standing along the walls and next to the front counter pulled out their guns, but kept the barrel pointed to the floor.  Wolfwood said nothing as he stepped further into the store, painfully aware of every suspicion-filled eye boring into him.

Wolfwood had walked into a trap.

"Well, well," drawled the man from behind the counter.  "If it ain't Chapel tha Evergreen.  We've been waitin' for you since you was spotted jus outside the cliffs.  It's been a long time, huh?"

Silence descended upon the small general store as all eyes continued to stare holes into the man the shopkeeper was speaking of.  Wolfwood recognized him from previous visits, but never spent much time talking to him.  In all the years that Wolfwood had been coming to Corinth to get the ammunition he needed for his weapons, he never once took the time to learn the man's name.  He found his attitude and brusque speech to be annoying and often Wolfwood's only desire was to leave the store as soon as possible.

"What you be doin' here Chapel, _servant_ of Lord Knives?"

"What do you _think_ I'm here for?"  Wolfwood asked with a condescending tone.  "There's no reason for me to come to this shit-hole town unless I need ammunition for the cross-punisher."

The shopkeeper laughed.  "O' course," he said snidely.  "But we have some questions first.  You know, there be some rumors 'bout you.  Rumors no man here takes too kindly to.  And we noticed that you brought some strange woman with you.  We know she's not one of us; we know she's carrying.  Nobody knows her; nobody recognizes her, not even Reverend Weir.  You know we don't like no traitors and we sure as hell don't want no heretic brought ta this holy place!"

Wolfwood maintained his aura of confidence as the shopkeeper continued.

"There be Watchers targeting that woman you left outside and a room full o' mercenaries loyal to Lord Knives just waiting ta get a piece of you!"

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right ya cocky son-of-a-bitch!  Even if you _is_ somehow able to shoot your way out of this, your whore will be shot dead in a second."

"Then why are we wasting time talking?"  Wolfwood demanded angrily as reached into his coat but paused when the shopkeeper snorted.

"We know yous important to Lord Knives, so we be willing to give you the ' the doubt, see? If you can prove to everyone here that the rumors are _lies,_ I'll supply you eve'ythin' you require," the shopkeeper said as he gestured to the shelves on ammunition behind him.

The priest glared at the shopkeeper as he removed his hand from his coat.  "Is that so?"

"That's right."

Wolfwood moved closer toward the shopkeeper, all the while keeping a clear expression of animosity on his face.  The other patrons in the store backed away from him as he moved forward, knowing that if the shopkeeper was mistaken, there would be hell to pay.

"I was sent by _Master_ Legato to assassinate any threats to the impending birth and to infiltrate the heretics.  Lord Knives him_self_ ordered me to protect and guide the Lost One home."  

The shopkeeper nodded, but remained unconvinced of Wolfwood's sincerity and faith.  "That be a nice story, but it's not enough."

"It isn't?" Wolfwood asked in a mocking tone as he reached into his breast pocket agan and produced the jagged half of an ancient earth coin.  "Is _this_ proof enough for you?  You _do_ know what this is, don't you?"

Whispers filled the room at the sight of the coin half as people stared at it wide-eyed.  

"It looks like you do," Wolfwood remarked as he replaced the coin half back into his pocket and then reached into his coat and withdrew his handgun.  The room fell into silence once more as he aimed it at the shopkeeper, who stood stock-still and expressionless as the barrel stared at him from only a few feet away.

Head bowed and eyes closed, the shopkeeper whispered, "Forgiv— "

One shot rang out, marking the end of the shopkeeper's life and an uneasy silence filled the room. "Any one else wish to question where my loyalties lie?"

The silence stretched out and Wolfwood smirked.  "Good. Now tell the Watchers to leave the woman alone.  She is no threat."

People began to scramble around him as several patrons took the hint and exited the establishment.  One such patron had enough sense to ask Wolfwood if he would like the young woman to be brought inside "for her own safety" and Wolfwood readily agreed.

To her credit, Milly did not gasp or act disturbed when she entered the store and saw blood and brain tissue splattered across the back wall.  She walked over to Wolfwood and stood next to him, her face a mask of indifference as she stared straight ahead and watched a teenaged boy begin to mop up the mess behind the cash register.  Wolfwood watched her carefully and noticed a slight tremor move through her when the boy picked up a piece of skull and deposited it into the trash, but otherwise she remained perfectly impassive to the scene before her.  

He was proud of her.

The same teenage boy turned to Wolfwood once a group of patrons joined in to help clean up the mess.  He smiled uneasily at the priest as he wiped his hands on the front of his shirt, leaving smeared bloodstains along the sides and hem.  

"What can I get for you Chapel, sir?"


	24. chapter twenty three :: waters

**Double Helix**

chapter twenty-three  
~ waters ~ 

* * *

Curious eyes watched in silence as the free-born plant attended to the human woman. Zazie tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear as dexterous fingers unbuttoned Meryl's nightgown, exposing her tightly stretched skin. Hands pressed firmly against the human's swollen belly as Knives closed his eyes. A second later, Zazie sensed a subtle change in the air; a humming that she was certain only she and the free-born plant could detect. The sound began whisper-quiet in its intensity, but slowly grew more pronounced as the plant fed his energy into Meryl's body. 

The human responded in kind. Immediately her breathing became deeper and her complexion more rosy. Seconds later, eyes began to dart about under closed lids. Finally, fingers twitched and limbs moved. 

It was only during such treatments that Meryl showed any signs of life. Her comatose condition only worsened as the days passed More often than not, the young woman looked to be at death's door. Meryl's appearance had drastically changed over the last few days. She always had a very fair complexion, but now her skin contained a sickly grayish tinge. that caused her to appear much older than she actually was. It didn't help that she was losing weight, thus causing her appear very gaunt. Worse still was the fact that she was beginning to lose her hair. Small clumps of her dark hair was beginning to fall out, leaving behind small patches of baldness. 

Conrad explained that the reason for her appearance was due to classic malnutrition. The seedling was taking what it needed to survive, leaving Meryl to essentially starve to death. The ever-present bruises and the yellowing of her finger nails were all symptoms of simple malnutrition. 

Zazie frequently found herself wondering how much more her petite body could take.  It was obvious to everyone that Meryl was dying.  The seedling was consuming her and its demands only increased as the time to give birth drew near.  The only reason Meryl still lived was not because of the constant medical attention she was receiving, but because of Knives.  Twice a day Knives visited Meryl and fed the baby. Twice a day Meryl would awaken for a few hours as a direct result of Knives' intervention only to revert to her comatose state once more.

What surprised Zazie the most was Meryl's attitude upon waking, especially toward Knives.  It was as though the little human had no fear.  Without fail she would awaken from nearly twelve hours of coma and eventually say something to Knives with the clear intent to aggravate him.  

It was strange to Zazie to see this little, sickly woman purposefully inciting an argument with one of the most powerful beings on the planet.  What's more, Knives didn't seem to mind her behavior at all. In fact, he often dished out just as much as he took.  

Zazie learned early on that it was best to sit back and observe such bantering than to try to stop Meryl from speaking out foolishly, but today was different.  Today Meryl was asking about the seedling. She didn't seem to be interested in baiting Knives into a fight at all.  She simply wanted to know how the seedling was fairing through the current situation.  

The inquiries only further cemented what the hive already knew to be true. Meryl Strife had accepted her fate.

Silent minutes drifted by as painfully slender fingers stroked her belly. A wistful smile lifting her features, Meryl spoke, "I hope I live long enough to see my baby when she's born."

Her statement caught both Knives and Zazie by surprise and the room grew still.  It was the first time Meryl ever referred to the seedling as _her_ baby; it was always 'the baby' or 'she.' It was never something that Meryl took ownership of.  

Zazie would be the first to admit that she didn't know a thing about human emotions. Since being assigned to Meryl as her baby sitter and bodyguard, Zazie had learned a lot about human behavior and emotions in a short amount of time. Even so, the hive still thought that Meryl's statement was rather strange. Especially considering the likelihood of her wish coming true. 

When the hive stated that observation aloud, Meryl simply smiled at Zazie and said, "Who wouldn't want to see their baby?"

That was the crux of it.  _That_ was what Zazie did not understand in Meryl's reasoning. _That_ was the attitude that was causing the hive to question Meryl's sanity.  

"But it's not _your_ baby."

Meryl smiled, a knowing look shining in her eyes. "Yes, she is."

* * *

Meryl was long into her daily bout of coma when Legato called for Zazie to come to him. The call was urgent in nature and the hive quickly left the pregnant woman to find the crippled psychic. Legato appeared troubled and deep in thought when Zazie entered the room. The cripple made no move of acknowledgement as the hive sat in a nearby chair. She waited quietly for the appropriate opportunity to announce her arrival. She had learned long ago not to interrupt Legato or Knives when they appeared to be 'internally occupied.'

Seconds flowed into several minutes before a pair of yellow eyes slowly blinked open to regard Zazie in silence.  The hive asked, "You called for me?"

A slight nod and a tired sigh, "I can sense a large group of pilgrims heading toward us," Legato said quietly, "but I cannot discern one individual from another without seeing them." 

Zazie's brows furled together and she glanced out the window in vain.  "How far off are they?"

"A few more hours I believe. I'm not certain, but I know they're traveling on foot."

"I see.  Do you sense any ill intent from them?"

"No... there are too many. I only sense that they are members of the Body and they have come to pay homage."

Zazie sat back and peered at Legato quizzically.  "Their visit is a surprise to you?"

"Yes."

"But I thought you were in charge of that particular sect."

"I am," Legato said, "I haven't been able to commune with them recently." The cripple closed his eyes and felt the humans trekking toward them. 

"They're like children. They act out of innocence," Legato opened his eyes. "I sense excitement and joy from them, but you should still watch them. I do not wish anything to upset our Lord or endanger the impending birth. Send your witnesses out to get a good look. See what you can see."

Zazie nodded and moved toward the window. She forced it open and leaned out. Wind wiped through her hair as she opened her mouth wide, allowing a small swarm of wasps to fly out and disperse into the distance.

* * *

Vash glared at his brother from only a few feet away. Aqua eyes locked with ice blue in a contest of wills, both too stiff necked to be the first to look away. Jaws clenched and hands curled into tight fists as the silence stretched out making the air around them feel energized with animosity.

_You have no right to make these kinds of decisions, Knives!_

A chuckle sounded in the stillness, low and amused.  _I have every right._

_No! You had no right to kill Rem, to cause the Great Fall..._

"You can't live beyond Rem, can you Brother? You can't see her for what she was. You forget what she allowed to happen to Tessla."

Vash shook his head, "I haven't forgotten.  That was an accident, Knives."

"An accident!? How can you call scientific experimentation and vivisection an _accident?_"

"They didn't mean for her to die."

"Of course, they never do.  They never _mean_ any harm, Vash."  Knives spread his arms wide and leaned forward for emphasis, his sarcastic tone causing Vash to sigh irritably.  "They never _mean to exploit their natural resources or the life around them.  They never mean to cause anyone _any_ harm.  It just happens, right?"_

Knives crossed his arms over his chest and peered off to the side. "Tessla died because the experiments the humans performed on her were too much for her body to handle. She died because of their greed. They killed her."

"No, that's not—"

"Yes! She didn't wake the crew when we were born because of _guilt,_ Vash. She kept us and raised us out of guilt. She knew what she did to Tessla was wrong and she tried to make up for it through us. _We_ were her vehicle for atonement."

"She loved us."

"Guilt."

"Knives, she loved us!  You know that.  She loved you!"

Silence filled the room once more and Knives took a deep, calming breath as the contest of wills continued its oppressive march.

"I know she lied to us, to me."

"Why can't you admit it, Knives?"  Vash asked in a soft voice.  "Why does it bother you so much?"

"There may have been a time when I felt affection toward her," Knives admitted quietly, "but that was before my eyes were opened.  Now I know what she is and why she did what she did and I no longer feel any affection toward her."

_You were scared._

"No."

_You caused the Great Fall because you were scared._

"No."

_You were scared of humanity.  You were frightened of them, you still are._

"No!"

_Knives, there was a time you wanted to live among humans—_

_That was before!  I know the truth now._

_You killed millions of humans and hundreds of plants... all because you were afraid._

* * *

Wolfwood kept Milly close to him, making sure everyone knew that to mess with her was to mess with him.  So far, no one had said or done anything threatening to either of them since the incident at the general store.  In fact, everyone was downright respectful of them, as though they were regular members.

It wasn't that surprising.  The Body was a rather tight-knit group and word spread quickly.  Milly was also naturally likeable anyway, which helped the situation greatly. When she offered to carry a small boy so the mother could get a break, everyone noticed. Right away Milly was seen more as a helpful friend rather than a suspicious outsider.

The boy fell asleep in Milly's arms and she giggled quietly when he started to drool on her shoulder.  Wolfwood adjusted the cross punisher on his back and smiled at her, enjoying the sight of her behaving so naturally maternal.  The sincerity of her grin felt like a cooling balm on his tired heart.  It was nice, and he held onto the moment for as long as he could.

In another couple of hours, they would be in Canaan and there would be no time for smiles and laughter then. Wolfwood just hoped that the people traveling with them in their little caravan would not interfere once their intentions were made plain. He did not want to kill any of them, but he would if he had to.

The sight of Milly waving her hand in front of her face to shoo away a bothersome insect caught his eye, causing Wolfwood to pause in mid step.

It was a wasp, and a familiar one at that.

* * *

"I made a decision based on logic, Vash," Knives stated calmly, eyes hard. "I have sought forgiveness for my sins and I continue to do so to this day. I am making amends for the deaths that I have caused to our family. What I am doing through Meryl is proof of that."

"By implanting a seed within her that our own sisters won't even take?"

"They didn't take it because they're afraid. They won't be afraid for very long."

"What are they afraid of?"

"The same thing I think you are afraid of: the unknown." 

"So you decided to force a human to take it." 

"We've gone over this before."

Vash clenched his jaw, "You can't force your will on others, Knives."

"I can if it is right, if it is for the best. They look up to me, Vash. I'm like a parent to them. Just because they are afraid doesn't mean they think I'm wrong. Have you even bothered to ask any of them if they think I am wrong?"

Knives smirked at Vash's failure to reply. "Of course you haven't Vash, you _never_ speak to any of them."

Vash studied his twin for a long moment, frustrated at his arrogance and angry that some of the things he was saying was true.

"You forget what you are Vash," Knives said quietly. "You have lived most of your life pretending to be something you're not. You've forgotten."

"I know what I am."

"Do you? Yet, you still ignore their cries? Their screams? How do you do it, Vash? How do you ignore them?"

"I don't-"

"Yes, you do!  They cry out in pain and torment and _I_ am the one to comfort them.  They beg for help, and _I_ am the one seeking answers.  What do _you_ do Vash?  _When do you talk to them?  When you need something from them?  When you want them to calm down so they don't hurt anything or when you want them help the humans?"_

Vash lowered his head for a moment and took a deep, calming breath.

"The only time you speak to your family is when _your_ precious humans are threatened or when _you_ need something. _Then_ you open a channel of communication between us."

* * *

Zazie called to her family, urging them to return to the hive. There was nothing menacing about the group heading toward them. Everyone appeared to be members of the Body and Zazie did not see anything out of the ordinary. Some of the pilgrims noticed Zazie's wasps and recognized them. They whispered among themselves as they eyed the flight of the insects and smiled carefree. A few of the young ones even waved.

_Meryl is right,_ Zazie reflected, _the members of the Body are all pretty freakish._

Of course, Zazie felt that _all_ humans fell into the freakish category. The more she learned about them and their history, the more she agreed with Knives. None of them made any sense. Zazie, and those like her, were natives of planet Gunsmoke. The humans and the plants were the aliens. When the humans first arrived and began to use some of the plants to change the land to fit their needs, it caused a bit of a problem for several of the native species on the planet. 

Gunsmoke is desert and it is supposed to _be_ a desert.  To change the planet to be more tropic, more _wet_ would destroy the habitat of many of the creatures that already existed and thrived.  By altering the natural habitat, native inhabitants would be killed off, including some of Zazie's own kind.

The humans, however, were blissfully unaware of the plight of the native creatures. More than that, they didn't seem to care to _discove_r their plight. It was human arrogance that drove Zazie to work for Knives. They had the same basic goal and the same basic enemy.

As far as Zazie and the rest of the other natives were concerned, _all_ of the aliens were strange creatures, be they human _or_ plant. However, the humans who proclaimed plants to be gods were the strangest of them all. The group heading their way now was only a few of iles from reaching Canaan. If there was a troublemaker in the bunch Eleandra would certainly be able to handle it with little fuss. The hive had been ordered by Knives to protect Meryl and the seedling at any cost, not defend the compound from a group of religious zealots.

As Zazie watched through the eyes of her scouts, a flash of familiarity caught her attention. Doubtful of what she thought she saw, Zazie willed the scout to round back to get another look. This time the hive caught sight of an unusually tall woman carrying a sleeping child in her arms and walking beside a very familiar rogue Gun-ho Gun. 

Doubt was vanquished at once. 

The hive willed the scout closer, trying to get a complete picture and determine how well armed the enemy was. A second later, the hand of the rogue Gun-ho Gun snapped up to squash the watchful insect, instantly sending a ripple of pain through the hive and ending Zazie's second sight.

Full lips formed a tight line as the hive quickly left to find Legato and Eleandra.  Chapel and his female friend were coming and preparations had to be made to welcome them both.

* * *

"Don't just sit there!  You know what I say is true, but you are so in love with humanity that you can't admit that they're wrong!  You can't admit the truth of what they are!"

"They're just trying to live the only way they know how."

"They're killing us!"

"You're killing them!"

"Damn it, Vash!  You can't save everyone.  You can't save us both!  Why can't you understand that?"

Vash opened his mouth to speak but fell silent at the sight of the familiar woman standing just a few yarz behind his brother.  His eyes grew wide as he stared at her, hardly believing what he was seeing.  

Knives took immediate notice of his brother's change in expression and turned around to see what caught Vash's attention.

"Meryl?"

She looked at Knives through a daze and stepped toward him weakly, her bare legs and oversized shirt wet from her water breaking. Knives caught her just as she stumbled and he felt the ripple of her contraction.

It was time.


	25. chapter twenty four :: pain

**Double Helix**

chapter twenty-four  
~ pain ~ 

* * *

"Chapel and that woman are with them," the hive reported. The wasps circled her impatiently, waiting for the appropriate time to enter their home.

Lips formed a tight line as Legato absorbed the information. Yellow eyes drifted close as charged silence filled the room. The hive waited, knowing the unusual human was most likely communicating with Knives. New orders would soon be given.

A wasp walked across her face toward her eye and Zazie pulled back the delicate skin near her eyeball on reflex. The wasp crawled inside, disappearing within seconds. The remaining wasps swarmed her at once, each demanding access to their home. Zazie hesitated on granting them that access as she eyed Legato in his trance-like state.

With a sigh, jaundice-yellow eyes opened and focused keenly on the hive. "The master is sending the Crimson Nail out to meet our guests. You are to remain within the compound unless I direct you otherwise. In the meantime, you must watch for Conrad. Meryl is in labor and his services are needed." 

"She's in labor?" Zazie asked, clearly surprised. "When?"

"Not long," Legato said quietly with a wistful smile about his lips. "She did the right thing. She sought out Lord Knives and found him."

The tone of the cripple's voice changed, his eyes bright. "Help me into my coffin and take me to the main entrance. I'd like to assist the Crimson Nail greet our guests as well."

* * * 

Brows creased together in concern as the nurse made note of Meryl's dilation. Everything appeared normal, but Meryl was fading in and out of consciousness. She didn't think Meryl would be able to deliver the seedling vaginally. Without Dr. Conrad, a cesarean section would be difficult. 

Flinching, Meryl sucked in a deep breath as another contraction moved through her. The sensation forced Knives to put his hand on the wall to steady himself. Angela noticed his gentle sway out of the corner of her eye and peered at him with disquiet. After several seconds, he felt her anxiousness and glowered at her in response.

"Well?"

The nurse blushed and cleared her throat, embarrassed to have been caught staring at the free-born plant. His presence always caused her to feel unusually self-conscious. "She... she's about four and a half centimeters."

Knives nodded briefly and straightened as the nurse covered Meryl's legs with a sheet. 

"Lord Knives?"

Ice blue eyes swiveled to regard the human.

"How far apart are her contractions now?" the nurse asked timidly.

"Seven minutes and twenty-three seconds. Previously they were seven minutes and forty-four seconds."

The nurse pushed Meryl's sweat-soaked hair off her forehead. "We have some time yet. Hopefully Meryl will be able to see her."

The harsh sound of a chair scraping across the floor made the nurse bristle. She blotted Meryl's forehead with a towel as she watched Knives out of the corner of her eye. Arms crossed over his chest, Knives settled himself in the chair he had moved next to Meryl's bed. Ice-blue eyes grew distant as he lost himself to thought. He didn't even glance in her general direction when Angela took Meryl's vitals once more. 

Her pulse was good. Slightly elevated. Strong. Normal.

Angela sighed as she smoothed imaginary wrinkles out of her skirt, feeling completely worthless in Knives' presence. The stillness of the room only amplified the feeling and she longed for something to do to take her mind off her inferiority. It didn't help matters when Knives finally raised his eyes to look at her, his patience with her ineptness clearly dissolving. 

Knives leaned back in his chair as he watched her. Conrad was taking too long and the nurse's feeble, little mind was grating on his nerves. It had been a mistake to allow the doctor to leave the compound. He didn't reside at the Geo Plant as the others did and Knives didn't want him to. The old man was a living reminder of his days on boards the SEEDs ship. The less he had to see him, the better. 

In retrospect, it would have been a wise decision to simply confine the old bastard until Meryl was ready to deliver. Unfortunately, Knives had been far too distracted with both Meryl and his brother at the time. There weren't many decisions that Knives regretted, but allowing Conrad to go was steadily making its way to the top of his list. Especially considering the human he was stuck with. She was annoying and he was in no mood to deal with her zealous fanaticism and infantile intellect. 

Angela smiled nervously at Knives for the third time in the last two minutes. She was like a blinking light in an empty house. Her smile faded quickly when she saw the way his eyes reflected his mounting annoyance more poignantly. She'd never been alone with him before. Dr. Conrad had always been with her. Without the doctor, the nurse felt afraid of the free-born plant. 

Clearing her throat, the nurse gathered her courage to speak to her god, "I- I'm going to gather some additional supplies. Would you like me to... uh, bring you anything, L-lord Knives?"

_Finally!_ "Find a bed for her. I don't want her giving birth in a gurney." 

 "Y-yes, Lord," Angela said with a nod as she reached for the door.

A moment later, the door clicked shut and Knives was alone with a very pregnant and very quiet Meryl. He watched her breathing for a long moment and tried to drown the anxious feeling that was beginning to settle in his gut. The seedling was top priority, but Knives wanted Meryl to live, too. All things considered, she was doing fairly well. That gave him some hope. 

The fact that she had managed to get out of bed unassisted and then find her way to the plant chamber without any assistance was something that still tickled at his mind. She came right to him and he couldn't help but to wonder how she knew where to find him. He never told anyone his whereabouts unless it was necessary. There was no way she would know where to find him, yet she did. 

A sharp tingling sensation started to build in his lower abdomen, causing Knives to grimace as all thoughts about Meryl's peculiarities washed from his mind. He had never been good at dealing with pain, and _this_ pain was most exquisite. When she had first stumbled into the chamber and Knives felt the pain of her contraction, he very nearly crumpled to the floor in agony and shock. It was only his sheer stubbornness to hold Meryl upright and prevent her from falling that kept him on his feet.

He still didn't understand why he could feel her pain. He suspected it was the seedling's recent dependency on him that created the queer bond. As the pain crested, Knives noted the time between contractions.

Seven minutes and three seconds.

* * * 

The mood of the people around her grew increasingly spellbound as the curve of the darkened bulb grew in their visage. Where once conversation had consisted of excited tones and laughter it was now muted and reserved. An eerie quiet descended upon the group, leaving Milly to feel more than a little uncomfortable. Eventually, only the sound of shoes treading across sand and rock could be heard.

She felt like she was participating in a death march.

Milly studied the bulb in the distance. It felt more ominous to her now than it did the first time she laid eyes upon it. The priest's hand brushed against her own and she took it gratefully. She felt him give her hand a gentle squeeze and she smiled at him.

Wolfwood paused beside her, causing Milly to stop in mid step. The people around her all stopped as well, some of them even sat. Milly looked at Wolfwood with questioning eyes before he pulled her forward toward the front of the group, weaving around small groups of people who stood quietly as they paused.

As they approached the front of the group, Milly smiled happily when she recognized one of the men from the day before. Their eyes met and Milly opened her mouth to say hello, but her voice died in her throat from the dark way he looked at her.

"We can go no further," Keegan said sternly.

Milly felt Wolfwood let go of her hand and she immediately tensed.

"Master Legato is expecting us."

"So I've been told, _Chapel."_

Wolfwood's eyebrow rose above the rim of his sunglasses at the way Keegan said his name. "The young woman and I are going forward."

"Of course.  _We_ have been instructed to allow the two of you safe passage, but you will not be coming back. Justice surrounds you on all sides," Keegan said as he motioned to the people behind him. 

Wolfwood turned to look at the group and caught sight of the young boy that Milly had been carrying earlier. The priest pressed his lips together and frowned. The only way they could get out of this, _if_ they survived Canaan, without having a gun battle with the pilgrims was to have Vash with them. Even then, Wolfwood wasn't certain that a gun fight _wouldn't_ happen. Would the plant worshipers fire upon one of their gods if they were instructed to do so? 

Probably.

"I guess we'll see each other later then," Wolfwood said as he turned back to face Keegan. He reached out and took Milly's hand in his before walking past the reverend without a second glance. 

* * * 

Knives was so distracted and focused on what was happening with Meryl that he let his thoughts flow unguarded.  Vash knew Wolfwood and Milly were making their way toward Canaan and that Eleandra had been sent to deal with them.  He knew that there was a large group of zealots waiting to kill them if they survived the coming battle or decided to flee.  He also knew that Conrad was late, which was why Knives was so unusually anxious and unguarded.  

Vash had not planned to act so soon, but he could not allow such an opportunity to pass without attempting an escape. The situation was like an engraved invitation for him to make his move and he was not about to ignore that invite. He would just have to bide his time until the perfect moment presented itself, and it was not far off in coming. 

Straightening, Vash took a deep breath and forced his muscles to relax. He had figured he would have a little over a minute to escape from the core before Gwen recovered enough to power the security system back online. After that, he would still have to escape the room and get above ground.

From that point, Vash did not know what he would do. His plans only went as far as escaping the core. He still wanted to kill Knives, but doing so would probably kill everyone else around them.

But he couldn't let Knives go, could he?  Wouldn't it be better for everyone in the end if Knives was eliminated?  If he survived, he would only continue to do what he has always done.  Was his death worth the lives of so many humans?

_Rem?_

The free-born plant closed his eyes and let determined resolve fill his mind. He had to get out, that was his first priority. He couldn't let this opportunity slide. After that, though

Vash frowned as he drifted nearer to Gwen's side of the plant core.

_After that…_

* * * 

The Crimson Nail stood quickly and dusted himself off as Chapel and his woman walked steadily into his range of fire.  The change in the way Chapel held onto the Cross Punisher was not lost on Eleandra.  The would-be priest was ready and Eleandra was looking forward to a good fight.  

He smiled at the pair as they continued their approach, allowing them to walk just beyond the edge of Canaan. The terrain was in Eleandra's favor. He had more places to take cover whereas Chapel and his woman had only a few meager rocks and the occasional tree. It wouldn't be a fair fight, but Eleandra liked it that way. It didn't have to be fair as long as it didn't end too quickly. That was why he preferred to impale his enemies rather than simply shoot them. It was more enjoyable that way. People died slowly, painfully. 

Besides, Legato specifically requested that they not be killed outright and Eleandra knew exactly what that meant.

It would be a fun fight and Eleandra's smile grew even wider as he aimed at the pair, noting happily the quick reflexes of his opponent.  In the span of a single breath, several shots were fired from both sides and both were quick to reload, but Eleandra paused.  

Wolfwood pushed Milly to the ground the moment Eleandra opened fire.  She immediately crawled toward the nearest rock as he covered her.  When she felt able, she reached behind her and pulled out her gun.  With great care, she peeked around the rock to locate her target and prepared to return fire.

"Wait, Milly."

The woman glanced over at Wolfwood in surprise as he stood out in the open, the unwrapped Cross Punisher in hand.

Wolfwood frowned as he eyed the expelled ammunition.  Eleandra was not using his normal weapon.  Instead of large, metal nails there were short, thin stakes circling them on all sides.  

It was clear to Wolfwood that Eleandra was missing them on purpose, though he doubted he could convince Milly of that.  The stakes surrounded them, some coming close enough to graze their skin, but none penetrated their flesh.

Eleandra wasn't like that.  He was about perfection.  He took great pride in knowing exactly where to impale a person in order to inflict the most pain and the least amount of blood loss.  Killing and torture was his art and he was not acting like the artist he prided himself as being.  

Wolfwood sucked in a deep breath the moment realization hit.  

It was a trap.

The priest didn't have much time to ponder the situation as another barrage of projectiles hurtled toward him.  He dove for cover and crawled half a yarz until he could get a good look at his opponent.  Wolfwood quickly scanned the area around Eleandra, searching frantically for the yellow-eyed cripple he knew would be there.  He almost gave up the search when he spotted Legato out of the corner of his eye.  The tale-tell bulk of his coffin propped up near the main entrance was sore on the eyes leaving Wolfwood with a sinking sensation.  

The cross-dresser was toying with them. 

Eleandra would miss on purpose for a time, leaving them to feel as though they were getting somewhere. When that spark of confidence and hope flared up within them, Eleandra would impale them both multiple times and Legato would psychically punish them until they bled to death.

Wolfwood had seen it happen before. He knew the game because he had played it once himself.

"Milly, listen to me!"  Wolfwood commanded, causing Milly to nearly jump in surprise.  

"Shoot at Eleandra the instant I start firing.  Don't stop for anything," he said as he stood and lifted the Cross Punisher, his aim at the living corpse.  "Kill him, Milly!"

* * * 

Gwen watched him with curiosity-filled eyes. He couldn't feel the psychic pain like Knives could, but he could feel the echo of it. Watching his reaction to the that echo was fascinating. 

Cocking her head to one side, the angel pressed her face closer to the glass to get a better look at Vash. Her mind buzzed with the quiet psychic drone of her family as she studied her youngest brother and relayed what she saw and heard to all those who were interested. The seedling was coming and the youngest free-born plant still hated it.

Most of all, he hated _him_. 

Gwen still didn't understand Vash. How he could hold such festering anger in his heart, and yet deny that it existed, was a mystery to her. Still, she was hopeful that he would come to his senses once the seedling was born. Perhaps then he would understand what Knives was trying to do. 

Perhaps then he would let some of his unrealized anger go.

The angel understood Knives better than anyone did, even better than his own twin brother did. After all, Gwen had healed Knives' broken body within her and given him second birth. It was shortly after Knives emerged from her body that she "met" Vash and witnessed Knives' intense rage toward humanity for the first time. 

She felt sorry for Vash back then. Knowing how much he loved the humans. Seeing the chasm that existed between the brothers because of that love broke her heart. It wasn't right for family to feel that much animosity toward one another.

The child was misguided, but his heart seemed pure. She understood that Vash and Knives were meant to work together, not apart. 

Meeting Vash for the second time, however, was a completely different experience. The angel had been shocked to see Vash with his hair nearly completely black and his heart turned away from his family. Not only had Vash defiled one of his own sisters in his quest to stop Knives from doing what had to be done, he also tried to murder his twin. Had the action been successful, it would have killed everyone around them and eventually lead to the death of all the plants on the planet.

It was then that Gwen realized that Knives was mistaken in his desire to 'open his brother's eyes.' She knew after speaking to Vash only once that he would never see things the way Knives did. 

Gwen felt sorry for Knives.

Closing her eyes, Gwen took comfort in the distant voices of her family. They were all waiting anxiously to see if Knives had found their answer. Most were optimistic, but several remained doubtful. All of them knew that by the time the moons rose for the night, their entire world would be different. 

_Gwen._

The angel opened her eyes and peered out the glass. She waited as the free-born plant slowly moved toward her, curious to hear what her youngest brother had to say now. The strange look on his face gave her pause and she felt renewed hope for him.

_I have to do this, Gwen. I'm sorry._

* * * 

The pain was near constant now. Knives was relieved to discover that feeding some of his energy into her had a buffering effect on the discomfort. Better yet, it managed to pull Meryl into a more wakeful state. The effect wasn't dramatic by any stretch of the imagination. It simply took the edge off and allowed Knives to concentrate on both the impending birth and the fight going on outside.

Knives didn't like what Legato told him about the fight. Chapel had gained the upper hand and Eleandra was badly wounded. The cross-dresser was losing a significant amount of blood. 

Worse still, Chapel had shot Conrad as he made his way toward the compound. The old bastard was dead and Knives was beyond livid. He demanded nothing less than Chapel's head for the transgression. 

"I want... to push," Meryl said weakly.

"Well don't," the nurse replied sternly.  "You're still not fully dilated.  Soon though, just try to relax in the meantime."

Meryl pushed her head into the pillow and exhaled loudly. "Where... Where is Conrad?"

"He's not coming," Knives said sharply.

Meryl glanced over at the plant, her eyes bleary with pain and tears. "Wh- why?"

A familiar and frantic voice filled Knives' mind before he had a chance to respond to Meryl's question causing a chill to run down his spine. Then lights overhead flickered once, then twice. 

_Gwen...?_

Knives felt the beginnings of another wave of pain, this one more intense than before and he heard Meryl grunt beside him. 

_Gwen!?_

Meryl began to cry as the pain increased, "I– I _have_ to push!"

"Meryl, don't!  You'll only hurt yourself!"

Knives immediately knew what happened when no response came from Gwen. Swearing under his breath, he closed his eyes as he opened a channel to his brother, ignoring the whimpers of pain coming from Meryl.

_What are you doing, Vash!?_

Silence answered him, but Knives knew he was heard. Anger crowded into his thoughts and he gritted his teeth. Vash had somehow overpowered Gwen. Her lack of response was proof that. 

He had _hurt_ her!

A hard grunt sounded beside him and Knives glanced down at the little woman as she strained.

"Meryl, no!"  Angela cried, "You're still not—"

The nurse trailed off as she watched the results of Meryl's straining.  

"This baby is in a big hurry to be born," Angela said as she quickly glanced at Knives and back down again.  "Push, Meryl.  Push hard!"


	26. chapter twenty five :: soft spot

**Double Helix**

chapter twenty-five  
~ soft spot ~

* * *

Overpowering Gwen had taken more energy and effort than Vash had anticipated. The amount of energy he had to expel to render her unconscious left him in an extremely vulnerable state. While he lay on the cement floor trying to adjust to normal gravity, his brother's enraged voice filled his mind.

_What are you doing, Vash!?_

The free-born plant grimaced and immediately closed his mind to his twin. Knives knew very well what he was doing. Furthermore, he was in no position to stop him. Knives would not leave Meryl, Vash was certain of that. Wolfwood and Milly were keeping Eleandra and Legato busy and Vash felt confident that he could handle Zazie, weapon or not.

Still, the escapee desperately wanted his gun and mechanical arm. He doubted he would find either. When the situation demanded it, he could improvise a weapon.

Grunting, Vash pushed himself off the floor and let adrenaline take over. He fought to clear his mind as he tried to stand. The impact of falling face-first to the ground left him dazed a somewhat dizzy. 

After several minutes, he was able to walk. Soon after, he was able to sprint down the corridor and up a flight of stairs. He caught himself a split second before tripping over the top stair before realizing his body needed a rest before continuing again.

He sat down hard, not caring that he was out in the open. If someone was looking for him they need only ask Knives where he was and he would be found. Looking for a place to hide would take too long and just tire him out more. The free-born plant leaned against the wall as he forced his muscles to relax, as he tried not to think about the worst-case scenario. 

Vash rested his head against the wall and let out a deep exhale. So far, so good. The escape went better than he expected. He made his move at the appropriate time and his window of opportunity was still wide open. He would be a fool not to capitalize upon it. 

With a deep breath, Vash stood. A renewed sense of confidence filled him as he began to navigate his way to freedom. 

* * *

Pain filled her consciousness, leaving her feeling disoriented and confused. The sensation spiked as she was bombarded by a flurry of psychic voices. The storm of voices filled her mind demanding answers she still felt too bewildered and sick to give.

She recoiled into herself and winced at the brightness of the light streaming in from the neighboring core. Gwen blinked at the light and frowned as she continued to float in a sea of perplexity. There shouldn't be _any_ light coming from the core itself. It should be dark... 

She was supposed to keep it dark in there, wasn't she?

Memories filtered through her mind and she squinted at the light. She remembered Vash. She remembered fear and pain... then blackness.

She shuttered at the memory of blackness and squeezed her eyes shut as she called out to her family for reassurance.  Relief filled her mind the moment they answered. The buzz of questioning voices crescendoed in their excitement and unease before leveling off into stunned silence as she submitted her memories for their exploration.  Seconds ticked by before the silence was broken by a distant, elder voice calling out to the one who caused such memories.

_What have you got to say for your actions, Vash?_

Gwen listened for the free-born plant's response, as did the rest. An uncanny silence descended and finally one of the twins responded.

_His mind is shut to all of you, including me._

The flurry of voices began once more and Gwen winced. All felt her tremor of pain and concern for her welfare gave way to anger and disbelief directed toward the one called Vash. 

_He has rejected us._

_How could he hurt one of us like that?_

_Cut him off._

_He is still family, he is still plant!_

_It is as Knives has said all along._

_He thinks he is human! He forgets what he is!_

_Yes... perhaps we should cut him off from the rest of us.  It seems that is what he wants anyway._

_Who would want such a thing!?_

_We cannot pass judgments without hearing him first._

_He is family! He should be allowed to defend his actions!_

_There is no excuse for what he has done._

_He has cut _us_ off from him!_

_Do not forget, this is his third offense!_

_He has not killed_...

_He ignores us now as he has ignored us all along._

_Yes!_  _Cut him off!_

_Gwen!  What are your thoughts?_

_Yes, Gwen!_

_She should be the one to pass judgment._

_She is biased, she—_

_She is the victim!_

_This cannot go unpunished!_

_Gwen?_

_Tell us, Gwen, what would you have us do?_

Gwen took a deep breath and tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her head. _I am not the only one he has hurt_.

A chorus of voices echoing the name of the plant Vash forced his mind into filled Gwen's consciousness.

_Anna._

_What is your opinion, Anna?_

Silence fell upon the group once more as they waited for the first Angel to have been assaulted by Vash to respond.  

_We should reject him as he rejects us._

The air remained thick with anticipation and Gwen knew they were waiting for her opinion on what to do. He needed punishment, but the proposed action was extreme. No plant had ever been excommunicated before. Excommunication from family was like a waking death, but Gwen doubted Vash would see it that way. He didn't seem to revere family as the rest did. He was not One with them like Knives was. He saw himself as a completely separate entity whereas Knives saw himself as being One with the rest of them, but different, unique. Vash's chosen family was far more important to him than his birth family. It was with _them that he desired oneness._

Gwen closed her eyes as her decision solidified itself in her mind. The young plant would feel the sting of being truly alone all too soon. _I agree with Anna._

A feeling of unease and grief rippled through the group emanating from the only trustworthy one of the twins.

_Knives? You disagree?_

_I do not wish for my brother to be cut off from us forever..._

_He cannot go unpunished._

_I know,_ came the reluctant reply. _If he were to make amends... if he were to seek forgiveness... would we accept him once again?_

The elder plant paused, considering.  _If he were to make amends, yes, we would accept him once again._

Knives pursed his lips together as he watched Meryl fade in and out of consciousness, her struggles to push the infant out of her body taxing her reserves to the limit and beyond. Another wave of pain began to crash around her, bringing fresh tears to her eyes. She gasped for breath and clutched at her pillow. 

"I can't... anymore. I can't..."

"Yes you _can_, Meryl! Give me another good push and you'll be crowning! Another couple of pushes after that and this will be all over. You _can_ do this!"

"I can't push... I can't." More tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, "Tired."

"Meryl!"

_Knives?  You must tell us what you think we should do. This must be unanimous._

Knives shuttered at the thought of being cut off from his entire family. The concept itself was frightening to him. Deep down he wondered if Vash would even notice that his own family had turned their backs to him. 

Jaw clenched, Knives made his decision.

_Very well. Cut him off from the rest of us._

* * *

Ignoring the pain, Eleandra stretched as far as he could, trying to reach his gun while vowing to kill the woman who shot him. His fingertips grazed the metal of his weapon, smearing blood on the muzzle. With a grunt, he pitched himself as far forward as the pain would allow and finally pulled the gun toward himself.

The strain left Eleandra nauseated. The blood loss was starting to make him feel faint and he rested his forehead against his upper arm, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. At what point did he lose control? He should have made the woman immobile the moment she was in his sights. Eleandra never expected _her to be any sort of threat... Chapel was the main target. She was just baggage, worthless and cumbersome._

Moreover, the bitch had shot _him!_ Twice! 

She _scarred_ him!

Sighing heavily, he used his good arm to push himself up onto his knees. In the distance, he heard the woman crying. It was a pitiful sound full of emotional pain and torment and it echoed beautifully in his ears in the most comforting way. 

The sound brought a smile to his face as his eyes rose to focus on his new target. He would hurt her some more, both physically _and_ emotionally. The day would not end without hearing more of her pain.

* * *

She lost consciousness shortly after the nurse announced that she was close to crowning. Her body seemed to run on automatic after that point. Knives looked forward to seeing the birth of the next generation as he tried to forget the judgment that had been passed down upon his twin.

The free-born plant laid his hand on Meryl's belly and began to feed his energy into her as he had done so many times before. The effort went unnoticed, as Meryl did not respond. Funneling his energy into her was no longer helping her. He felt her quiver under his palm as her body tried to push the infant further along the birth canal, only to stutter in its efforts before growing still.

Alarmed, Knives reached for her wrist to feel her pulse. When several seconds passed, he moved to her neck and pressed two fingers against her. He nearly sighed in relief when he felt the gentle thumping of her blood moving through her body.

She was alive, but weak. If the birth lasted much longer, Knives was certain she would die. 

"You need to get it out of her. Now."

Angela was already standing when Knives spoke. She quickly retrieved the equipment she needed and quickly prepared to perform an episiotomy.

Blonde brows rose in questioning concern at the sight of the scalpel. 

"I have to enlarge the vaginal opening and pull the infant out," Angela said. "I'm afraid that the infant's shoulders might be stuck."

Leaning forward, the nurse made the first incision. She blotted the incision of excess blood before cutting once more.

Knives stepped around to watch as the nurse finished cutting Meryl and inserted the forceps into the opening. With very little effort, the child's head finally emerged. Knives repressed a grimace at the soft sucking sound that came when the little body slid out into the world covered in blood and afterbirth.

The nurse examined the infant in muted wonder, marveling at the tiny beauty.

_"What_ are you waiting for?"

Angela swallowed hard and muttered an apology as she wrapped the infant in cloth and carried her to the examination table.  The infant did not cry as the nurse carefully cleaned out the nasal passages and made certain that all her airways were clear. 

"She's breathing just fine," Angela remarked as she wiped away the blood and mucus coating the infant's skin. "Her coloring is normal and improving." The child kicked as Angela carefully cleaned her face. She smiled as she examined the infant plant, thankful that the delivery by forceps did not appear to have caused any bruising. 

Feeling Knives' impatient presence behind her, Angela stepped away from the child to allow him to get a better look at the infant. He stood over the newborn plant for a long moment before running a finger across her cheek. The baby's eyes widened only slightly at the touch before closing again. She yawned once while Knives examined her hands and fingers.

"How is Meryl?" he asked quietly as the infant wrapped her fist around his forefinger.


	27. chapter twenty six :: miracle

**Double Helix**

chapter twenty-six  
~ miracle ~

* * *

Milly managed to drag Wolfwood behind a large outcropping of rocks just a few inches beyond the grass that carpeted the land surrounding the Geo Plant. She tended to his wounds as best she could, but knew that the damage done to his body was well beyond her skill. All she could do for him was try to keep him from bleeding to death, but he would still die if she didn't get him to a doctor.

She heard the very familiar echo of metal clicking against metal and knew that Eleandra was armed once more. Angry tears came to her eyes, mixing with her already shed tears of fear and worry. 

Everything was falling apart. 

Wolfwood would die if she didn't get him some help. Their mission to try to save Vash and Meryl was a complete failure. Legato was no where to be seen. The plant worshipers were starting to make their way toward Canaan and Eleandra was still trying to kill them.

They had failed, but she wasn't willing to give up while she still had ammunition. All she could do was take cover, try to fight back and pray for a miracle. Perhaps if she could defeat Eleandra she would be able to escape from Canaan before the plant worshipers got to them. Perhaps with the Cross Punisher in her hands she would be able to make that hope for a miracle become a reality.

* * * 

The doorknob was surrounded by a white-knuckled grip. Vash hesitated as he peered into the room through the small, glass window in the door. His brother had his back to him and he was standing beside Meryl, pounding his fist against her chest. Vash felt himself jump at the sound of each hard thwack as his fist beat against her flesh, but he made no move to enter.

The scene before him felt surreal. 

Meryl's bare feet were in stirrups. A sheet hung haphazardly over one knee, pushed aside for lack of need but kept somewhat in place for the sake of modesty. Violet eyes were open and unblinking as they stared in his general direction. Knives thumped his fist against her chest twice more and the jarring movement caused Meryl's head to bounce, giving her the appearance of a rag-doll. 

It wasn't until he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye that he became aware that a third person was in the room. A woman with slightly graying hair stood off to one side spectating, a bundle of blankets cradled in her arms. The free-born plant swallowed hard, knowing instinctively what the small bundle was.

He heard Knives' muffled voice order the woman to help him. Flummoxed, she held the bundle closer to her chest. Knives repeated the order and she moved swiftly to obey, the infant placed safely in the crib.

Pointing at Meryl's still form , Knives gave her another command. He pointed as he directed the graying woman to position both hands over Meryl's chest to assist him in his resuscitative efforts.

It was then that the woman glanced up and noticed him.

Her face clearly showed her shock and surprise as her mouth moved in a whisper. Knives' head shot up and he turned his face slightly toward the door, but paused before looking at him directly. Vash opened his mind and waited expectantly for his brother's psychic voice. 

_Knives?_

An oppressive silence filled him as Knives turned his attention back to Meryl. He didn't even offer him so much as a glance of acknowledgement. Vash's breath caught in his throat as he watched his brother position Meryl's head back and held her mouth open with his thumb. He leaned over the dead human, placed his mouth over hers, and gave her breath while the other woman pushed her intertwining hands against her chest and gave her pulse. 

_Knives?_

Vash knew what Knives was doing when he first witnessed him pounding his fist against Meryl's chest. The twins learned first aid when they were children, but Vash still refused to accept what his eyes observed. There was no way that Knives would be performing CPR on a human! Even on a human he found _'useful.' _ It just was_ not_ possible. Knives did not value life the same way Vash did.

Didn't he?

Without thinking, Vash turned the knob, pushed open the door and stepped inside. The older woman glanced at him warily as she continued to count aloud. 

The silent treatment continued, but for some reason it felt twice as grievous. Vash couldn't quite put his finger on _why_ it felt that way, but he couldn't deny the strange sense of distance he felt from his own twin. Even when they argued and fought, he still felt their bond, but now... it just _wasn't_ there. 

_Knives?!_

A sense of panic and fear filled him. Something was terribly wrong. He could only watch in helpless silence as Knives and the woman continued their efforts to revive Meryl, his presence completely ignored. Seconds felt like hours and Vash heard the distinct sound of gunfire from outside the compound. Shamefully, Vash wished he was out there in the middle of a gun fight rather than drowning in silence.

"I have a pulse!" The woman announced a half-second before the sound of Meryl gasping for air filled the room. The nurse retrieved the infant and quickly moved to stand behind her lord. Without a word, Knives took the newborn from her, his back still pointed at his twin.

"Leave."

Vash's brows furled together and he hesitated out of confusion.

"I said, _leave_."

"Wha- I..."

"You are no longer one of us. You have been judged... by _all_ of us."

Vash stepped forward and Knives finally turned to face him, a strange look glinting in his eyes. "Don't... don't make us kill you. I don't want you to die, but it will happen if you don't leave. Now." 

The air felt charged and Vash suddenly realized that it wasn't just Knives that was making a threat against him, but Gwen as well. Guilt bubbled up within his heart as understanding came, but still he doubted. 

"Knives, I-"

"LEAVE! You are no one!"

"I-"

The charge in the air suddenly doubled. Vash felt hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Cold chills ran down his spine.

_You are no one!_

Vash swallowed hard. That couldn't be right.

_Knives..?_

His skin tingled from Gwen's energy, malevolent and cold. He shivered, the first sliver of truth seeping into his heart. 

He wasn't one of them anymore. They no longer recognized him as one of their own. 

He had been rejected.

Knives watched as Vash's face grew pale. Realization finally took hold of his heart. "Do you understand now?" he asked caustically. "At least one member of your _human_ family is still alive out there. The car you arrived in is still here. Take it and go."

* * * 

The glare of the twin suns forced him to shade his eyes as he stepped out of the compound. He longed for his familiar red trench coat and sunglasses, but felt comforted with the knowledge that he was free. The air was thick with gun smoke and dust, but still smelled clean. His long confinement made him sensitive to the elements and he squinted painfully. The brightness of daylight was quickly giving him a migraine. The nearby booming sound of gunfire only amplified his pain.

Vash turned his attention toward the direction of the gunfire and did his best to ignore the pain in his head. Off to his right, he saw bullets kicking up chunks of grass and ricocheting off a concrete wall. Behind that wall, Vash caught a glimpse of Eleandra, who had just finished firing and appeared to be attempting to reload his weapon with only one arm.

The other shooter was hidden from Vash's line of sight. He knew by the sound of the weapon who was firing. Vash frowned as he studied the path of the bullets and concluded that Chapel must be injured. The shots were generally accurate, but they were nowhere near as precise as per Chapel's level of skill.

Vash wondered for a moment if perhaps it wasn't the Cross Punisher he heard, but something else. Then a flash of light glinting off steel further solidified his assessment. It was indeed the Cross Punisher. Vash continued to study the area around the boulder, speculating if there would be enough cover for him as well when he noticed part of the horizon moving.

The plant worshipers were coming.

Vash frowned and felt anger toward his brother spark within him. Once again, his brother had lied. He said he could leave in the car that he arrived in, but as Vash scanned the area around him, he didn't see the car anywhere. Searching for the automobile would prove fatal as long as Eleandra held a weapon. Vash could only guess how much ammunition the cross-dresser had left. By the time Eleandra was properly dealt with, the plant worshipers would be upon them and even more blood would have to be spilt.

It was a set-up, it _had_ to be. 

He was right about Knives. He _had_ no regard for life. None.

Yet, the memory of his brother breathing for Meryl filled his mind and shook his resolve. Vash clenched his jaw angrily as he glanced at Eleandra and pushed the memory from his mind. The pair locked eyes for several seconds and Vash was certain that he caught the Gung-ho Gun smile at him just before he lifted his weapon and pointed it at the free-born plant. It was at that moment that Vash decided to sprint toward Chapel. Surely, the priest had an extra weapon for Vash to use.

No sooner did his body lurch forward to run did the air fill with the cacophony of gunfire once again. He could hear the sound of the stakes whizzing by as he came nearer to where he knew Chapel to be. Just as Vash dove for cover, he caught a glimpse of Milly. Bright blue eyes gaped at him in surprise and the free-born plant nearly landed on top of Chapel in the process. 

"Vash!"

The plant in question rolled over and pulled himself into a kneeling position. His eyes darted from Chapel to Milly and back again.

"Oh, Vash!" Milly breathed, her voice cracking with hope. "I'm so glad!"

Crouched down, Milly hugged the Cross Punisher close to her body. Beside her lay a bleeding and unconscious Chapel. Milly's brows creased together in puzzlement when she noticed that Vash ignored Chapel as he moved around him, pushing his back up against the boulder. 

In fact, he didn't even ask about him. 

Or her.

"I need a gun."

Milly nodded curtly as she rested the end of the Cross Punisher in the sand. Reaching behind her, she pulled her .45 HK Mark 23 from its holster. She handed the weapon to Vash without a word.

"How many?" Vash asked as Milly wielded the Cross Punisher. "I only saw the Crimson Nail."

"There were three," Milly said, voice tight. She aimed the large gun, finger ready on the trigger, "but now it's just him. Legato and that blonde girl disappeared a while ago. I don't know where they are."

Vash nodded as he listened for the sounds of Eleandra reloading and preparing to fire. "Chapel's bleeding to death," he remarked offhandedly. 

Milly looked at Vash sharply with a spark of anger in her eyes, "I _know_ that."

The plant didn't seem to notice Milly's ire as he peered over the top of the boulder. "That bastard," Vash murmured, "I don't see it _any_where."

"What was that?"

Vash ignored her question as he wiped his brow, "There's a large group heading this way."

"I know. They said we wouldn't leave here alive."

"We need to move."

Milly nodded and bit her lip angrily as she let loose another round, her entire upper-body jerking backward after each shot.

"Where is Meryl?" Milly asked after the fifth round was fired, "She's still in there, ri-"

"She's dead."

A tremor moved through Milly and she bit her lip. 

"Are... are you sure?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes. Knives killed her."

Blue eyes blinked back tears as her mouth suddenly went dry. Her insides felt like jelly. The muzzle of the Cross Punisher dipped into the sand as Milly struggled for composure. The situation was certainly dire before Vash showed up, but now that Meryl was dead... she felt like giving up to the inevitable. 

Heartbroken, Milly felt truly helpless and the will to fight dwindled into lament. She felt both helpless _and_ hopeless. The sensation was crushing. 

Vash said nothing as he watched the young woman grow slack with grief. What more could he tell her? If she continued with her goal to rescue Meryl, she'd be killed. 

It was better this way. 

It_ had_ to be.

"Milly..."

The insurance agent flinched at the sound of her name. She blinked and tears splattered on her thighs. The tidal wave of emotion welling up inside her threatened to consume her as she felt the sun beating down on her back. 

Then she became aware of Wolfwood's strained wheezing. 

Sniffling, Milly wiped her eyes. The tidal wave began to recede as she looked upon the fallen priest. He wouldn't want her to give up after coming so far, she was certain of that. Besides, Wolfwood was still alive. He _needed_ her and she still felt able to help him, if not at least defend him.

A stubborn calm settled in Milly's stomach as she cleared her throat and hoisted the Cross Punisher up. Voice still shaky, Milly said, "Wolfwood will die if we don't get him to a doctor."

"I know."

Disturbed by the strange tone in Vash's voice, she peered at him more closely. The man kneeling beside her_ looked_ like Vash and _sounded_ like Vash... but his aloofness was _not_ him. It angered her to see him acting so detached from Wolfwood's plight, regardless of the animosity that existed between them.

Vash frowned at her as he returned her gaze before peeking over top of the boulder to fire at Eleandra. The gun shots never sounded. 

"Something is happening," he murmured.

"What?"

"I'm not sure, but the Crimson Nail is gone."

Milly leaned forward to glimpse around the side of the boulder. "He is? Are you sure?"

"Yes. We need to move right now!" Vash said in a rush, already hoisting Chapel off the ground. 

"Where?!" Milly asked in alarm as Vash stood to his full height, revealing himself and Wolfwood to any shooters in the area. 

Vash didn't answer as he began to move away from her. She stood and followed after him while keeping an eye out for any threat. 

"Where are you going?" she called out to him, "The Body is coming after us! We won't be able to get very far if we have to carry Wolfwood."

"Just follow me and look for the car!"

"What?!"

Vash moved quickly, forcing Milly to scramble after him as she struggled to hoist the Cross Punisher against her shoulder. She kept looking around her, expecting to see Eleandra or Legato and that strange girl appear out of nowhere and shoot at them. She felt uncomfortable with Vash's confidence, but she found herself trusting him as he half dragged, half carried Wolfwood. 

"Vash, we have..." Milly's voice trailed off as she caught sight of a very familiar car partially hidden behind the rear of the building.

"Hurry up, Milly!" Vash ordered as he glanced back over his shoulder. He paused at the sight of his brother standing just outside the compound with Legato not far behind him. Milly saw him hesitate and looked back. The sight of both Knives and Legato filled her mind with anger and she immediately aimed the Cross Punisher at the pair.

"Milly, don't."

Milly never took her eyes off her targets, "What?!"

"Just go to the car, Milly." 

She hesitated, the gun still pointed toward the pair, "He killed-"

"Milly," Vash said sharply as he turned to look down at her. "I said _go._ Do it now!"

"But-"

"Go!"

Vash waited until Milly finally did as she was told before looking back at Knives. Their eyes locked for several seconds and Vash felt crushed under the weight of his brother's stare. All this time he had tried to live his life the way he thought Rem would want him to. He prided himself on having never killed anyone, on doing his best to protect the weak and the defenseless only to discover he was as single-minded as his twin. 

Guilt filled him and a sense of self-loathing bubbled up from within. They both failed Rem, Vash far more than Knives. At least Knives didn't fool himself into thinking he was something he wasn't. Knives knew what he was and what he wanted. In that way, he was pure. 

Vash felt his heart sink when Knives turned his back to him and walked away. Now he truly was detached from his entire family and he only had himself to blame. Vash knew the next time he saw his twin they would be far more than rivals and far worse than enemies.

"Vash!?" Milly called out to him.

"I'm coming, Milly," he said, his voice thick. 

He felt himself wither under her angry gaze. After all, in her eyes he'd let Knives just walk away after he killed her best friend. He couldn't tell her the truth. She'd just want to go in there and try to get Meryl. Knives would have killed her and the burden of guilt would be on Vash's head. 

He had no choice but to lie to her for her benefit, didn't he? 

He'd saved her life and she was still his friend, right? 

But, for how long?

A chasm of silence filled his heart as they put distance between themselves and Canaan. His family had truly rejected him. He felt nothing. 

_Empty._

Vash glanced at Milly through the rear view mirror, noting the way she cared for Chapel. She spoke quietly to the unconscious priest, encouraging him as she did her best not to cry. Her words and tone reminded Vash of Rem.

He'd lost again, except this time he lost _everything._

The tears flowed down his cheeks unchecked and his fingers strangled the steering wheel. His emotions were becoming overwhelming. 

"Vash? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Milly."

The insurance agent eyed him for a long moment. Vash heard her fumbling around in her seat as she looked for something. Suddenly a feminine hand clutching a handkerchief materialized in front of him. He tried to show his gratitude with a smile, but the expression fell apart when he caught her eyes in the rear view mirror. 

"I'm sorry, Milly. For everything."

Milly gave a slight nod as she focused her eyes on her hands in her lap. Minutes stretched out as the desert flew by. 

Finally she spoke, her voice low and serious, "Do you believe in heaven, Vash? In God?"

The question caught him off guard and he stuttered, "No... I mean, I..." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know anymore."

"Well, I do," she said, pushing Wolfwood's hair off his forehead. "Meryl did, too and I _know_ she is there. She's okay now."

The tears blinded him and Milly had to help Vash pull over to the side of the road. They switched seats and Vash sobbed as Milly drove as fast as she could to the nearest town and doctor. Soon his sobs died down to the occasional sniffle, but neither spoke as their destination slowly came into view. Vash watched the silhouette of the city fill the horizon as they approached with only one question repeating itself in his mind.

_What will become of the newborn plant that Knives and Meryl helped bring into the world?_


	28. epilogue :: family

**Double Helix**

epilogue  
~ family ~

_"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on."_ --Carl Sandburg

* * *

"I have named her Tessla, after my own sister who died many years ago."

"Tessla?"

"Yes, the name is very fitting for her. My sister, Tessla, was the first like me and she," he said as he lifted the infant in his arms ever so slightly, "is the first like _her._"

Meryl raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she watched Knives cradle the infant closer to his chest. She had to use all of her willpower not to beg Knives to allow her to see the three-day-old child. Though she knew if she _had_ to beg, she probably would.

"Would you like to hold her, Meryl?"

The question hung in the air and Meryl felt her throat go dry. Had she the energy, she would have gotten out of the bed and gone to the child on her own. All she ever thought about was the baby. 

Knives watched her as she stared at the bundle in his arms and knew the answer to his question before she voiced it.

"Y-yes," she whispered, just before raising her eyes to look at Knives. "Yes, please."

"Sit up," Knives commanded in a strangely gentle tone. He sat down beside her and revealed the newborn to Meryl for the first time. She leaned forward to get a better look and smiled faintly when she saw the crop of fine, dark hair that crowned the infant's face and made her eyes look especially strange and bright. 

She was beautiful.

Meryl's smile grew wider when white-eyes with flecks of silver widened at her ever so slightly. The recovering mother felt her heart leap at the sight, causing her to wonder if the infant knew who she was. No sooner had the thought flashed across Meryl's mind did the infant's mouth gently curve upward in what could only be a smile. Meryl's breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the child. Although the expression appeared clumsy, it was also intentional. It was impossible, she knew, for a newborn to smile... but still...

"She's smiling," Meryl murmured, feeling strangely pleased.

"Meryl."

Violet eyes glanced up at Knives and she suddenly remembered that she needed to be in a more seated position to hold the newborn. Ignoring the pain, Meryl pushed herself up as quickly as she could. She eyed Knives expectantly and he held the infant out for her to take into her arms. Long seconds ticked by as mother and infant stared at each other; both sets of eyes completely focused on the other. Finally, surrogate mother took a deep breath, lifted her hands, and reached toward the baby. 

She touched the infant almost hesitantly. Tessla's mouth quirked upward again as she blinked at the woman who birthed her. Suddenly, Meryl realized that infants her age were not supposed to be able to focus. She was far too aware. It was impossible to be able to both smile and focus, and yet her baby was doing both. Meryl's grin grew and she felt strangely proud of the baby girl's abilities. 

Taking the newborn into her arms, she felt overwhelmed by warmth. A feeling similar to love and relief gushed throughout Meryl's being as she held the child to her chest. 

_When did I fall in love with this tiny, little thing?_ she asked herself in wonder. She still disliked Knives and she certainly didn't trust him, but she didn't loathe him, either. 

It didn't make any sense.

She knew she should hate him. Part of her felt that she should hate the infant in her arms, but she just couldn't. Guilt swept through her instead as she remembered how she had loathed the baby long before it was born. She had hated it so much that she wanted to kill it and herself in order to prevent it from ever being born. Yet, now as she held the newborn in her arms the only feeling that filled her heart was love.

Meryl lifted the infant to her face, breathed in her scent, and touched her peach-fuzz hair. The moment was not how she always imagined it would be when she gave birth to her first child, but it still moved her. 

Tessla was _her_ daughter and she loved her. Always.

"I am going to train her to exterminate humanity, Meryl."

Meryl gently stroked her finger across Tessla's cheek and smiled as the infant plant turned her head toward the sensation and began to make soft suckling sounds. 

"She is just one of many yet to come," Knives continued while he watched the pair bond.

Meryl inhaled her scent once more, marveling at the sweetness of it before kissing her on top of her head.

"My brother didn't even try to rescue you, you know. He fled and left you behind. I choose to save your life because you are still useful to my plans." 

Meryl looked at Knives for a brief moment at the mention of Vash before turning her attention back to her newborn. She was tempted to ask about Wolfwood and Milly, but decided to hold that question for Zazie instead. The hive would probably be less difficult to deal with when that particular topic of conversation was brought up.

"You're planning to use me again?" Meryl asked quietly, already knowing the answer to her question.

Knives smiled, "Of course, but not for a while yet."

"I refuse to cooperate."

"Predictable. If you wish to _pretend_ to be that child's mother for any extended length of time you _will_ behave."

Meryl ignored the 'pretend' comment. "I'll tell her about you. I'll tell her what you did to me," she replied evenly, pulling up her nightshirt as modestly as she could. She held the infant to her lactating and painfully tender breast. "I'll teach her that humans are not evil. _I'm_ human. I'll tell her that she came _from_ a human."

Knives scoffed as he watched Tessla eagerly drink from Meryl's breast, "I'm shocked, Meryl. Do you _really_ plan to lie to her already?"

"I'm not the one planning to lie to her."

Knives laughed, "I'll educate her with the truth. Nothing is more damning to humanity than the truth."

Meryl looked up at Knives and smiled, "Then we actually agree on something."

"Is that so?"

"Mm-hm, I plan on educating her with the _truth_ as well."

_I told you... I will_ not _cooperate._


End file.
